


Running From Myself

by Lady_Perun



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Depression, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, My First Fanfic, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Second Person, Racism, Self-Hatred, Skippable Smut, Sorry Not Sorry, dorian - male oc, forgive me for i might sin, i like death, i should have added sans/reader, ideas come quickly, if bad stuff happens know i am not sorry, just cause, never will be, smut in chapter 26, the power of thor compells you, video game references
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-17
Updated: 2016-11-03
Packaged: 2018-05-21 06:04:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 32
Words: 100,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6040986
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Perun/pseuds/Lady_Perun
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Summary Update 3/9/16: </p><p>The Monsters escaped the Underground six years ago. Most of them have been welcomed in to society, but of course, hate and racism runs deep with Humankind. </p><p>A seemingly normal day at the University turns into a nightmare. While some choose to forget, and some have moved on, others... have run away. </p><p>Will they find their way home?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Boom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update 5/4: edited to make more sense (maybe?)! Thanks to the wonderful [Moonflower01](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Moonflower01)!

“Zenyth, you’re going to be late if you don’t get your ass up now!”

 

_Damn it. Does the meaning ‘five more minutes’ not mean another hour anymore?_

 

You get up sluggishly, not prepared for today. Yet again, your parents are pushing you to go apply for work. _Not like I haven’t been rejected from ninety percent of this town already…_

 

You eventually get to a sitting position and hang your short legs over the edge of your bed. Tired from sleep, your vision is blurry, and your mouth feels sticky. _Ugh… What time is it even?_

 

You look to your clock and find it shining at a very brisk 8:25 A.M. That does nothing to your still-groggy mind, and you fall back to your bed with a heavy sigh. You had been trying for years to get a job, to no avail. At age 21, still living with your parents, you had begun to think of more severe options, including moving in with relatives you hardly knew.

 

You yawned and brought your hands up to your eyes, rubbing them profusely to remove the sleep from them. _Welp, time to get on with th—_

 

“ZEEEEENNNN—“

 

_(phwump)_

 

Your eyes flew open as you squeaked in surprise to the sudden impact across your abdomen. You coughed the last bit of air your lungs had. Struggling to breathe, you beat your fists on the thing that was preventing you from much needed life-juice. Finally, they relented and slid off of you, just in time for you to gasp in a big ass gulp of air.

 

“Who the fuck?!” You looked down to find your brother, Marcus, smiling up at you. “Morning, sis!”

 

Your face goes flat, giving him the poker face of death. His smile turns nervous, knowing what was going to come next.

 

“nYAH—“ as you lunge for him, he rolls over and gets up to run out the door. You grab his foot and he falls to the floor with a satisfying thump. You quickly crawl up onto his back and sit on him. “I win.”

 

He puts his face into the carpet and mumbles what sounds like discontent. You smirk. Gotta love being fluffy sometimes.

 

“You two are gonna miss breakfast if you don’t come down!”

 

You roll your eyes and rise. Moving to the side of your brother, you grab him by the arm and help him up. With him still grumbling after his loss, you both make your way downstairs to find your parents starting at the television. Your mother had her hand over her mouth, looking completely horrified, while your father seemed more concerned and confused.

 

You look to your brother, one eyebrow up. He returns the gaze and same confused look. Sighing, you turn the corner past the kitchen to look at the living room television. The news was on, covering what looked like a crumbling building, alight with fire and swarming with black and blue smoke… Blue?

 

Now thoroughly confused, you sit on the couch facing the television and listen intently.

 

“…Causalities have risen to thirty, but many students and faculty members have yet to be found. Authorities are doing what they can do stop the blaze but the state of the building is denying anyone, or anything, entry. The blaze has been going steady for the past three hours and there does not seem to be any…”

 

“Dad, where is that?” you ask.

 

When he doesn’t answer, you look behind you to find he’s still staring at the screen with what looks like pure concern. You look to your mother, who seems to have gathered herself a bit more.

 

“Mom? Where is that?” you ask again.

 

At your calls, she blinks a few times, bringing herself back to the present.

 

“That’s... That’s at a University in Washington.”

 

You look back at the television, just in time to hear the answer to your next question.

 

“The blast seems to have been caused by multiple machines at once. Though this is only speculation, we have reason to believe that this was due to the negligence of faculty members, known as W.D. Gaster and Sans Gaster.”

 

The reporter pauses to listen to her earpiece, and with a look of what seems like shock mixed with something… negative… “I have just gotten confirmation that W.D. Gaster and Sans Gaster were indeed working on the machinery within the Science Building, and were scientists in the Underground, working for the Royal Family.”

 

Your eyes widened. You knew what she meant. You slowly turned to look at your family members. Your brother was staring at the screen like his life depended on it. Your cousin, Nevaeh, looked like she could faint right then and there. Your parents, on the other hand, looked more agitated than concerned.

Your brow creased with confusion. The monsters had been up on the surface for near five years, but they hadn’t done anything wrong. They fit in so well, but seeing the looks on your parents’ faces, you couldn’t help but think that they completely blamed them.

 

Your mother spoke first. “Why would they immediately assume it was negligence? Those machines shouldn’t have even been at the University.” She shook her head.

 

“The monsters _did_ request the machines, sure. If they worked for the Royal Family as Scientists, we’d have to assume they knew what they were doing. Good thing Fox News is still around to spread fear where it isn’t needed. Those asshats really need to stop their little _show_.” She looked to the ground and huffed. “I need coffee.”

 

As she turned towards the kitchen, you drew your gaze to your brother and to your cousin. Neither of them seemed to have anything to say, so you spoke for them.

 

“I want to know what kind of machines can do that much damage. I don’t like hearing about it but I can’t believe that two monster scientists would allow that. They got caught up in it as well.”

 

You sighed, for what seemed like the twentieth time today, and got up. You went to the kitchen table, ate cold breakfast (yummy cold scrambled eggs) and fresh coffee. No matter what you were feeling, you had shit to do today.

 

Once dressed, you looked over the list of jobs that were hiring. You were applying to some of them again, and one or two of them were new. Joy… You were saving the least wanted jobs for when you were absolutely desperate. You were getting there, but your family was still living comfortably. Once you got into college, that would change, which is why your parents were hounding you.

 

You were ready, and so, you left the house to start your day.

 

* * *

 

You were in pain, and a lot of it.

 

_Holy FUCK WHY_.

 

Your body screamed at you as you began to move. A strong headache then took your head. You moved your hand up to your head, hoping that rubbing the temple would work.

 

Finally, you opened your eyes. Expecting nothing to be wrong, your body went into shock.

 

Hell. You were finally in Hell. Slowly, you looked around, trying to relish your new living space. _Wait, no…_

 

You were in the lab, but it was ablaze. Sounds you hadn’t realized were there were starting to come forth. Soon, you could hear nothing but crackling of fire, groans of pain, agonizing screams, sirens, and names being called.

 

_I need to get out of here…_

 

Your legs were jelly, but you had to get out. Frantically looking around to find an exit or something you could jump out of, you saw the machines; the machines that you had been working on for four years. You were almost at a breakthrough, and here they were, in a smoldering mess of fire and plasma.

 

You looked away and headed towards the exit nearest you. Passing by the machines and through an observation room, you were about to open the door when something caught your attention in the mirror. You looked behind you, thinking there was someone else, but there was no one. You headed back a little, just to the doorway of the observation room, to see if anyone was following.

 

Nothing.

 

With way too much effort, your legs moved again, but abruptly stopped. The mirror next to the door showed someone you’d never seen, wearing your clothing. You tilted your head to the side to find the mirror responded in kind. Your eyes widened in response. The mirror figure’s eyes also widened.

 

You couldn’t breathe. The thing in the mirror couldn’t be you. There was no way. _No. Fucking. Way._

 

With one final movement, you brought your hand to your face. Yet again, the reflection copied your movements. You blinked, slightly shaking your head, and noticed your hand.

 

_Why does it…_

 

You looked back up to the mirror. Two, no, three black lines now crossed your face: One from the bottom of the left eye to the top of your mouth, the other lines crossing away from each other from your right eye, going to the top of your skull. Not just that, but your right eye seemed to be… missing. One final look and fear took over.

 

Your left eye was no longer glowing blue. It was glowing yellow.

 

With that, you ran as fast as you could out the door, not daring to look back.


	2. Cookies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys for the Kudos last chapter :) You guys are awesome. 
> 
> I've already got a few chapters written up. Too excited that I'm actually motivated to write something. 
> 
> Be sure to visit me on my Tumblr. I'm new to this stuff but I'm trying my best.  
> http://lady-perun.tumblr.com/
> 
> Update 5/4: edited to make more sense (maybe?)! Thanks to the wonderful [Moonflower01](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Moonflower01)!

**~One month later~**

“Zen, go work on your chores before you clock out, then you’re good for today.”

You looked to the clock, noticing it was about ten at night. You’ve been working at the neighborhood convenience store for about two weeks now. It offered decent hours, good pay, nice people, and was within walking distance of home.  You sighed and started sweeping and picking up the shelves. You didn’t care for late nights, especially since you liked gaming online and had to work on stuff for college, but you got through it.

You were done with chores and clocked out, so you headed out the door with a wave to your supervisor and co-worker. It was a 45-minute walk back home, but you knew the neighborhood and so you were okay. Small towns didn’t give you the same sense of constant fear as living in a big city, for which you were grateful. You would have driven to work, but your car’s battery was currently out of juice, and you needed money to get it replaced.

It was a nice night. The sky was clear, the moon and stars in full view. There was no breeze and it was a good but chilly temperature. It was becoming fall, which meant the temperature would range from freezing to muggy and scalding within a few hours.

You were a few more blocks from home when you noticed some lights on inside a house. You knew this house had been for sale for a while, and it didn’t look like it was getting anyone new anytime soon, so you were glad for a new neighbor to take the quaint house.

The door was open and you could hear the moving of furniture coming from inside. Normally you’d walk past and let them have at it, but at this time of night, along with energy from the walk, you decided to pay a visit and see if they needed help.

You walk up the pathway to the house until you stop just at the door, and give a few knocks.

“Hello? Couldn’t help but notice some new neighbors! Was wondering if you guys needed any help?”

The moving of furniture stopped and you could hear a bit of movement but nobody was coming into view.

After a few minutes, you were about to walk away, when a deep voice finally broke the quiet.

“Nah, I’m good. Thanks though.”

Your eyes widened. You hadn’t heard a voice like that before. You always had a thing for deep voiced guys.

“Are you sure? You have any help?”

“No, but I can manage.”

You frowned, but you could understand.

“Alright, well, I’ll leave you to it then. I work and live past here so I’ll stop by and check on you. This area is small but the people here are nice. Have a good night!”

“Sure thing.”

With that, you turned away and started back towards home. A new neighbor in this economy was not often, so it was kind of exciting to see. You weren’t a social butterfly, and mostly kept to yourself, but you liked meeting new people. Perhaps you could actually meet him tomorrow.

Finally making it home, you open the door to find your mother at her usual spot at the kitchen table, with a tablet taking up her attention.

“Hey mom, finally home.”

“Oh good, how was work?”

“Same old, same old, but we have a new neighbor in the area.”

At that she looked up, finally pausing whatever she was doing.

“Oh? Did you get to meet them?”

You shook your head as you took off your jacket and hung it up on the rack.

“No. He was busy moving furniture. I offered my help but he said he was good. His voice is hella deep, though. Sounds like a big dude.”

“Ah, well maybe tomorrow then.”

“I was thinking about making something for them, you know, as a welcoming gift? If it’s just him then he’s gonna need friends.”

Your mother had put her thinking face on at that. She was probably thinking some sort of pasta or casserole.

You smiled to yourself. She’s always thinking of something complicated.

“What about cookies?” you asked.

“Sure, if you wanna be lazy.”

You looked at her with your perfected blank stare. Staying that way for a few minutes, you finally said, “Or it’s cause I’m wanting cookies, mother. Make a couple batches for not only our new neighbor but for us, too? You can’t deny you want a few cookies, dearest  _ mother _ of mine.”

She gives you a serious look, the “Mother Look” you had called it, but relented.

“Fine. Cookies it is. We’ll make them in the morning.”

~~ \|||/ ~~

It was around noon when all the cookies were finished and packaged up. Typical chocolate chip cookies, but seriously, who doesn’t love them?

Your mother suggested that you both go, so you both started walking down the street, talking about random stuff. When you finally get near the house, you notice a black motorcycle in the driveway.

“The one with the motorcycle, that’s the house.” You say, interrupting whatever your mother was saying.

You both look at the bike for a while, realizing it’s been very much taken care of but often used. Even as it looked relatively new, it looked worn.

You both start as you hear a loud crash come from inside the home. Hoping that it wasn’t as bad as it sounded, you head towards the door and knock. More crashing sounded from the inside, but it sounded like someone was rushing around.

You press your ear to the door, listening in - more rustling of things and shuffling of broken glass. “Who is it?” the deep voice booms.

You back off and away from the door, saying, “It’s me again. I offered to help last night?”

“Oh. Uh, I’m kinda busy.”

“That’s no problem. My mother and I made some cookies to welcome you to the neighborhood. We don’t get neighbors often.”

Silence.

You and your mother were about to leave when the voice came again. “Your mom out there with ya?”

You smiled and silently laughed. “Yea, she is.”

“..."

"Fuck… Okay, hold on.”

You laugh a bit more. He was in for a rude awakening. Your mother was quite eccentric and had a mouth on her. Most of your friends loved her, and there’d be no doubt this guy would as well.

Hearing a bit more rustling, but a bit more close to the door, you back off a bit and take a spot next to your mother. As you both wait for the door to open, a car horn sounds from the street.  You both turn around to find your father driving down the street towards home. His arm was out of the open window, waving. You and your mother both waved back.

You didn’t realize the door behind you had finally opened until the deep voice says, “Who’s that?”

You turn around saying, “My dad, sorry…” Your eyes widen.

“Nah it’s cool. So, cookies?” He smiles and looks back at you to find you staring. The smile then disappears and his brow furrows, questioning.

Your mother then turns around about to say something about your father being a nice person or some other spiel but her words never hit the air.

You both are staring at a skeleton: a  _ talking _ skeleton.

* * *

 

They both stare at you with wide eyes. Your hand immediately goes to rub your neck, feeling quite awkward.

The younger one shakes her head and punches the other ones' arm.  


“Sorry! It’s so rude to stare but we’ve never seen a monster around here! It’s so awesome to have you here!” you realize the younger one is the one who visited yesterday, given her voice.

You become slightly confused. “So wait, you’re not afraid or anything?”

Her right eyebrow raises as she laughs. Actually laughs. Her mother turns and gives her a stern look. You can't but smirk.  _ She looks like Tori doing that… _

“No! Not at all!” your attention is brought back to the younger one. “Sorry if it looked that way.” Her smile is gentle and calm.

“My name is Zenyth, but you can call me Zen, and this is my mother Lilian. We live a little bit down the street from here.”

“My daughter came home last night saying we had a new person in the neighborhood, and we planned on coming by to say hello. We brought some cookies as a welcoming gift.”

You looked at them with wide eyes. These guys were being too nice. You knew there were good humans in the world, but definitely not many. So when a good human or two came around, you were always skeptical.

The younger one, Zenyth, held out the plate of cookies. “They’re just chocolate chip, but they’re pretty much the best cookies when they’re fresh.”

You take the plate carefully, still confused. There’s still steam on the plastic wrap.

You look back up to the pair of humans. “Thanks, heh. But uh, help me out here. Why you guys being so nice?”

They look almost offended. Oops…

They look to each other and then back at you. “Cause not a whole lot of people in this town are. I honestly didn’t know you weren’t human yesterday, just thought you were a big dude…”

Her mother gives her an incredulous look. “Zenyth!”

“What? I’m being honest at least. But seriously, that wouldn’t have changed my view on you. You’re still technically bigger than me, so I wasn’t wrong.” She smiles at you after that, and you can’t help but laugh.

“Alright, point made. Thanks for the cookies, though.” You remember you haven’t introduced yourself. _Hopefully they don’t keep up on news._

“I uh, never introduced myself. The name's Sans.”


	3. Questions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update 5/4: edited to make more sense (maybe?)! Thanks to the wonderful [Moonflower01](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Moonflower01)!

You and your mother walked home in silence. It was only about one when you got home, and this left you about three hours before work. Even though you had stuff to do before leaving home, you sat with your mother at the kitchen table, both trying to come up with a reasonable solution to what your new neighbor had said.

“That couldn’t have been…” your mother started. She shook her head and furrowed her brow in the well-known thinking face.

“Didn’t they show his picture online?” you added. “We can look him up, but that still doesn’t make much sense if there were two skeleton monsters named Sans.”

Your mother handed you her tablet and got up to make some fresh coffee. Coffee was always good no matter what time of day or what season of the year.

Getting the browser up, you searched for “Sans the skeleton” and found a few news results, mostly of him and the other professor being blamed for the explosion.  There were a few other links with the same things, and a few detailing that the explosion was, in fact, caused by a malfunction in the machine, and not by the professors. Well that’s good…

Switching over to the ‘Images’ tab, you find that the skeleton was definitely not the monster you met today. The professor was much more rounded and definitely didn’t have the black lines covering his skull. Although they both dressed similar - loose fitted clothing that were sure to be comfortable - the Professor Sans wore a blue hoodie that was about two sizes too big. There were some photos of him in a lab coat with button up shirts and ties, dress slacks, and proper black dress shoes, while other photos had him wearing the blue hoodie, gym shorts, and…  _ slippers _ ? _Pink slippers..._  


The guy you met yesterday wore a black hoodie, an off-white turtleneck, black jeans, and sneakers. They only shared a few similarities that were worth noting.  


With that, your interest peaked and you went to search for “Gaster” to see what the guy looked like, since there hadn’t been too much on him. The guy was incredibly tall, towering over everyone, including Sans. Always wearing something proper, making him look very official, the only real thing that stood out on him was his eyes and the… lines.

_ Wait. _

The lines matched the ones on the Sans you just met, but he looked nothing like Gaster. He looked a bit like Sans, but he obviously wasn’t.

_ Who the hell is this guy? A brother perhaps?  
_

“Find anything, Zen?” Your mother asked as she took her seat, two coffee cups in hand.

“Yea, actually. The guy we met yesterday isn’t Sans, but he has the markings like Gaster has. Gaster was the other guy that died.”

“So he’s not Sans, but he’s not Gaster?”

You shook your head. “No, but I’ll leave it at that. We’ll figure it out later. I gotta get ready for work.”

With that, you got up, quickly gulped your coffee, and set off to get ready.

* * *

Three in the afternoon, and your house was just about set up. It was pretty sparse, just having what you needed to have, but it was home.  _ Somewhat _ .

You flopped onto the couch that was placed below the window in the living room. The day was long and you were getting tired, so you turned on the television and just let the sound distract you, as you couldn’t even bear to watch the shows that were on.

It’d been a month that you were on your own. You suspected everyone thought that you were dead, as you should have been. The explosion should have turned you to dust, but instead, you were something different. Still the same old Sans, but you definitely didn’t look like the old Sans. You looked like Gaster. That was something you really couldn’t get over.

_ What the fuck even happened to him? _

You refused to watch news or look up anything on the incident. You knew the blame was on you and Gaster, and it was better that you died. You didn’t want to think what the families of the students and other faculty members would do or say. You were afraid.

The television was beginning to annoy you, so you turned it to a music station and looked out the window. You had ran, with barely any possessions, to a new town in the weird state called Texas. You knew this place wasn’t exactly safe, but it was better than being near the place where you practically killed twenty or more people. You couldn’t stand it, and so you ran.

Lucky for you, people were accepting of you; they gave you odd looks when it came to your name, like they were aware of the news, but seeing you weren’t him, they shrugged it off. There were always a few douchebags ready to give you trouble, but you retained the ability to teleport, so you could escape without leaving a trace. _Maybe I should go by my middle name or a nickname..._  


Realizing you were zoning out, you came back to reality when you saw someone walking down the street in front of your house. It was that Zenyth kid. She said she worked a bit from here, so maybe she was headed there.

She stopped walking and turned her head towards your house. You couldn’t see what face she was making, so you decided to get up and see if she needed anything.

Opening the front door, you walked out. She squeaked in surprise, but smiled and waved. “Hey Sans!”

You gave a half-assed wave and walked towards her. “You going to work or somethin’?”

“Yep! Work four to ten again. It’s a little convenience store about thirty minutes from here.”

“Mind if I walk with you?”

She looked a bit surprised, but again, smiled. “Sure. It’s always good to have company.”

With that, she continued walking, and you followed.

* * *

You had finally made it to work, followed by Sans. You decided that he was really weird, but the weird you really enjoyed being around. Really reserved and didn’t like answering questions about his life, but you understood and didn’t pry.

As you walked into the store, your co-worker, Destiny, greeted you. She stopped talking as she saw Sans.

“Oh! Hey Destiny. This is Sans. He just moved into town.” You say with a smile. She perked up a bit, and couldn’t help but walk around the counter to meet him.

He was startled by her getting so close and asking a lot of questions. His hand moved behind his head as he smiled nervously. You laughed and headed back to clock in and get changed into your work uniform.

As you come back out, Sans is nowhere to be found. You head up to the counter where Destiny is and ask, “Hey, did Sans leave?”

She shook her head. “No, he went to go get some stuff. Seriously though, I have some questions and you better have answers.”

“Alright alright, what’s your question.”

“So, he’s new to town?”

“Yea, he moved here about a day or two ago. I was walking home and saw that someone had moved into that house that’s been for sale for ages.”

She stopped talking for a bit, putting her finger to her chin.

“So, are there any other monsters with him?”

“No, it’s just him.”

“That’s weird. They’re always with more monsters.”

“Yea, I thought so, too. He’s got a cool bike though.”

“A motorcycle? Suits him, honestly.”

At that, you watched him come to the counter with a few groceries, ready to check out.

You smiled at him as he walked up to the counter and placed his objects down. Destiny started ringing up the items as she started talking with him.

“So, Sans, Zen says you just moved here?”

“Yep.”

“Cool cool. You live alone?”

“Yep again.”

“Really? I just thought since you were a monster you’d want to live with others.”

“Eh, not really. Needed some space and new air.”

He started looking annoyed as she continued to badger him with questions and assumptions, so you mouthed ‘sorry’ to him. He shrugged.

You waved to him as he left the store, and he waved back.

As the door closed, you looked the clock. It was four-thirty.

* * *

 

As you left the store, you couldn’t help but feel slightly annoyed and irritated - way too many questions for your liking.  _ They’re just humans, always curious. Though they need to get a clue on when to shut it.  
_

The walk back home was filled with thoughts of the home and family you left. They all thought you died, and since dying meant you turn to dust, there wasn’t really a way for them to find out if you were really gone or not. The one regret you had was Papyrus. You didn’t want him to see you like this; didn’t want him defending his brother, the murderer of a whole building full of people.

The others would have been comforting him. You just hoped he didn’t “Fall Down” because you were too selfish to let him know you were alive. He lost his brother and his father that day.

_ Stupid. You’re so fucking stupid. _

He shook his head and rolled his eyes at that. Negative thoughts pervaded his mind every day, trying to bring him down. Eventually he’d tell them, but he didn’t know if he’d ever return to them.

Now he lived here in Texas, in a small community, hoping to find something to knock some sense into his selfish ass. You expected to find a community bringing shotguns to his residence, but instead, Zenyth found you.

She was nice, cheerful. Had an upbeat tune to her, but you could tell something wasn’t quite right. The girl hid herself.

You were finally home. You put away your groceries and decided to make something to eat before calling it a day.

_ “Yep! Work four to ten again.” _

You set an alarm on your phone to wake you up by nine.


	4. Puns...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just so you guys know, I nearly died from writing those puns.
> 
> Hope you're all happy >~>
> 
> Don't worry, I still love you all. 
> 
> Kinda.
> 
> Update 5/4: edited to make more sense (maybe?)! Thanks to the wonderful [Moonflower01](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Moonflower01)!

Nine rolls around and your alarm sounds. Groaning as you wake, you start attacking the air attempting to find the bed stand where your phone was supposed to be. Finally locating it, you look at the time.

 

_9:02 P.M._

 

Groaning louder, you sit up in bed and contemplate your next move.

 

_Shower. Definitely taking a shower._

 

Fifteen minutes later and you were drying off. Heading back to your room for clothing, you look at your phone again, reading the time. _9:21 P.M._

 

Finally dressed, and ready to go, you walk around your little home aimlessly, not quite sure what to do with the little time you have left. Sighing, you finally leave and head to the convenience store.

It was 9:45 when you finally looked at the clock. Sweet, almost time.

 

* * *

 

 

The door dings as it opens, and you rush to greet the customer. Eyes wide, you’re looking at Sans.

 

He smiles smugly and waves. “You said you were gettin’ off at ten, so I came by to say hello and maybe walk ya back.”

 

Laughing, you shake your head. “Alright then. I get off at ten, sure, but I got chores to do and then we can leave. You good with that?”

 

“I’m here, aren’t I? I’m good with waitin’.”

 

                            ~~\|||/~~

 

You look at the clock again, reading 10:10 P.M., and breathe a sigh of relief. You finished your chores a little quicker than usual, and were finally able to clock out. Tomorrow was one of your days off, so you could relax.

 

Heading out the lobby as you wave goodbye to your supervisor, Sans is waiting.

 

“You ready?” he asks as you approach.

 

“Yea, chores are done and I’m clocked out. Are you sure you wanna walk me home? It’s quite a bit past yours…”

 

He laughs and walks towards the door and holds it open. “I might be a skeleton and I might be lazy, but a few extra walking minutes won’t hurt.”

 

_Fair enough._

 

The walk home was nice. As you pass by his home, you come up with some new questions to ask.

 

“So Sans…” you start. He looks at you from the corner of his eye socket. “What made you move here? Not asking about the past stuff, just asking a general ‘why here’.”

 

He looks forward, and takes a bit to answer. “Wanted a quiet place to be, away from the others. I miss them, but seeing the world elsewhere has its perks.”

 

It’s not quite the answer you expected and you definitely knew he was hiding something, but again, the guy wouldn’t elaborate and you wouldn’t press.

 

“My turn to ask a question.”

 

You give him a light smile. “Sure, what’s up?”

 

“How long have you lived here?”

 

“About ten years now. We moved from California, which is way busier than this area. I’m still not used to walking down the street without really fearing for my life with every step.”

 

“So California, what was it like?”

 

“When I lived there, I lived in San Diego. There were way too many people, and you definitely never saw the same person twice. The good thing was that there was so much to do and everything was within a good distance of where you lived. I miss the beach and the sunset.”

 

A bit of silence came between you two as you thought of what else to say.

 

“You don’t have to answer this if you don’t want to, but how was the Underground? We don’t know much more than that’s where you guys came from.”

 

He frowned at this. You could tell it bothered him to think about it, and you were about to reassure him that he didn’t have to answer when he cut in.

 

“It was dark. Where I lived, it snowed all the time. We never knew the sunlight or the stars or the moon. There was a place called Waterfall where you could look up at the ceiling in some areas, and the crystals made it almost look like stars, but that was as close as we could get.”

 

“Waterfall?”

 

“It’s just like it sounds. Cool, damp, waterfalls everywhere, and tons of echo flowers.”

 

“Echo flowers?”

 

“Yea. Big, blue, glowing flowers that echoed anything that was said near them. Some of them carried conversations while some of them carried some of our history.”

 

You laughed a bit, making him look towards you. “What’s funny?”

 

“Just the fact that we both think each others’ lives are interesting. The Underground sounds like some place I’d love to visit sometime, and you guys are so entranced by the surface. We could both learn from each other. It’s been five years but we hardly know anything about you guys and you hardly know anything about us.”

 

“Eh, I might know a little bit more than you think.”

 

“I won’t doubt that, but still, I don’t think you know enough. It could be beneficial hanging out with me more often.”

 

A comfortable silence hangs between you both again. You realize you’re nearly home, and couldn’t believe you had talked the time away. He was definitely a good conversationalist, when he wanted to be, and you silently hoped he had more of your interests so you could have some more decent conversations about random stuff in the future.

 

Remembering you have the next day off, you decide to try and make plans.

 

“We’re almost to my house and I just remembered I have tomorrow off. Would you want to hang out?”

 

You look at him, hoping he’d answer how you were hoping. When he turned away from you, he grabbed his chin for the universal thinking pose.

 

“I don’t have any plans or anything, so sure. My place or here?”

 

“Well, my mother will probably want to talk to you more. There are also three other people in there that will want to interview you. I’ve got two cats as well, if you’d like to meet them.”

 

He raised an eyebrow at the mentioning of your cats. “You have cats?”

 

You nodded. “Yea, they’re named Sushi and Brad. Sushi is adorable, but Brad is an asshole, so be careful of his sass and surprise ninja attacks.”

 

He laughed at that one. “Alright, I’ll be back here tomorrow then. Brad’s got quite the cat-titude then?”

 

You blink a few times and set your face straight before looking back to him. You stare for about a minute or two before he nervously laughs and brings one arm behind his head. “Do you not like puns? I can st-“

 

“Oh, I hate puns, but now that I know you like them, you’ll absolutely love my best friend. I’ll die the moment you meet him because of the inevitable pun-war you’ll have.” Your laugh comes out dry and humorless, “I already had one punny douche in my life, and now I have you. Damn it.”

 

He’s laughing quite loudly at this point, when his gaze drops to the sidewalk. He picks something up from the ground and holds it in his hand. “Well, that makes a lot of cents. Two punny guys can give you a run,” he says as he throws the coin, “for your money.”

 

You groan in annoyance. “I’m so done. I’m done. I’m going home, and I’m gonna have nightmares of fucking puns. I bet that fucking coin on it.”

 

He smirks. “Can’t I put my two cents in?”

 

You shake your head, throwing your hands up in defeat as you head towards the door.

 

“I’m done! You’re meeting my bestie soon enough! I’ll die and you guys will be laughing at my grave I swear!”

 

As you approach the door and get ready to open it, you turn around.

 

“But that’d be too easy to put you down one last time!” He yells.

 

“Oh my god.” You roll your eyes and grab the doorknob. “Goodnight, Sans. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

 

Still laughing, he turns around and heads back towards his home. “See ya.”

 

You gasp, remembering something.

 

“Sans! Wait!”

 

He turns around with an eyebrow raised.

You take out your phone, and set up a new contact. “So, number trade?”

 

He grabs your phone and starts typing an entry. Once he’s done, he hands the phone back to you and starts walking away. “Hey, but I-”

 

“Just text me. I’ll get it that way.”

 

You roll your eyes, and finally take a look at the contact info.

 

_The Bone Guy_

_(XXX) XXX-XXXX_

 

You look back up to see him still walking. Shaking your head, you start a new message and text him:

 

_YOU: Bone Guy? Really? Of all names, that?_

 

You hear a faint tone coming from his direction, and watch him bring something up to his face.

 

Your phone goes off, letting you know a new message has appeared.

 

_THE BONE GUY: That way you wont confuse me with any other guys_

 

_YOU: With a name like Sans I’m sure it would have been fine just entering that!_

 

_THE BONE GUY: But wheres the fun in that_

 

You roll your eyes again. _This guy, I swear._

 

_YOU: Lol, anyway, see you tomorrow Sans. Don’t be scared if you get texts from random numbers now cause my family might steal my phone._

 

_THE BONE GUY: As long as they dont spam its all good_

 

_YOU: Don’t count on it._

 

_THE BONE GUY: Ok ok. see you tomorrow._

 

* * *

 

 

As you head back home, you can’t help but smile. Her reactions to the puns were priceless, and you haven’t had someone laugh like that in a while. She said she hated them, but you knew all too well she was like Papyrus, secretly enjoying them.

 

Thinking about tomorrow, you were excited and nervous. You knew her mother accepted you, but didn’t know about the other family members. That and her best friend she spoke of. Another guy who enjoys puns was always good to have around, and if it got her to laugh, then it was all worth it.

 

The main thing you were excited about was seeing the cats. You fucking loved cats. _I just realized she said one of them was named Sushi. Sushi, of all names._

 

You laugh to yourself. _Undyne would love that cat._

 

Brad, though, seemed more like your cat.

 

On your way home, you couldn’t help but think of puns to use against Zenyth. _Need to study up for this._

 

For the first time in over a month, you felt... almost relaxed.

 

Almost.

 


	5. Visiting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, bit of a longer chapter here, but Ch 6 is even longer, about twice as long. 
> 
> Gonna let you guys know now that chapters won't come out like they have been, as I'm running out of room to think and write and make it actually understandable (meaning too many ideas and thinking of ideas too far in the story line is starting to screwing me over). 
> 
> I'll still be writing, but in case it takes more than a few days, you'll know why. More notes will be added when I upload Ch 6, as well as some tag changes :) 
> 
> ~LadyP
> 
> Update 5/4: edited to make more sense (maybe?)! Thanks to the wonderful [Moonflower01](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Moonflower01)!

You woke with a start. Your face still smashed in your pillow, you blindly reach around to try and find your phone, which was sitting on the bed stand. Upon finding it, you bring it close around so you can read it.

 

_Ugh, too close. Too bright._

 

You sit up, mumbling curses at the morning hours. Looking at your phone for the time, it reads _10:02 A.M_.

 

You were never one to wake up before noon, even after starting work. You couldn’t remember why you had set an alarm for that early, and so shut off the alarm and laid back down.

 

Eyes snapping open, you remember.

 

_Sans is coming over. Fuuuuu…_

 

Wide awake, you throw off the covers and start getting dressed. _Gotta make coffee, get breakfast and lunch together, warn the family…_

 

Your mind was racing. You haven’t been this excited for having anyone over since your ex-boyfriend had visited for the first time. You pick out your favorite pair of jeans and your most comfortable shirt, which so happened to be a grey Pikachu shirt, and start heading to the bathroom so that you can freshen up.

 

As you go in, your cousin is taking up the sink.

 

“Hey, scooch.”

 

She looks at you without turning her head. “I’m busy. Make do.”

 

You glare at her. “Neveah, come on. We have company coming over and I gotta get ready.”

 

That finally made her relent and move over, and even if it was just a few inches, it was something.

 

“You never care for when we have company over. What’s the occasion? New boyfriend?” She gets a sly smile. “Or is it a girlfriend?”

 

“Do you have a betting pool for me being lesbian or something? You can keep all the vaginas to yourself.”

 

Laughing, she starts to put away her toiletries.

“I’ll keep them all, thank you, but I’m being serious. What’s the occasion? I’ve got nothing to do today, either.”

 

“He’s a new neighbor. Moved here alone, so since today was my day off I was going to hang out with him. He wants to meet Brad and Sushi.”

 

“So what’s so special about this neighbor?”

 

“Well, for starters, he’s a monster.”

 

She slams her hands down on the sink as she looks at you. Your eyes are wide with a little bit of fear but mostly surprise.

 

“A monster!? Are you being serious or are you joking, cause that’s not cool if you’re joking.”

 

You swallow hard as you regain your composure. _She’s just excited…_

 

“Ah, no, I’m being serious. He’s a skeleton monster, moved in at that house about a 30-minute walk from here. His name’s Sans.”

 

She collected herself and glared at you, eyebrows furrowed. “But Sans is dead. He died in that explosion.”

 

“I thought it was crazy, too, but this isn’t that Sans. He looks way different.”

 

She looked away, focusing her attention to brushing her hair. “Okay then. If you say so.”

 

About fifteen minutes later, you were out of the bathroom. Marcus and your father, Damian, were sitting at the kitchen table, drinking coffee and eating cereal. They were both dressed and were hurriedly eating the remnants of their measly breakfast.

 

“You two got somewhere to be?” you asked.

 

Marcus turned around and gave you a chipmunk smile. You gave him a small smile as your father spoke up.

 

“Yes. Marcus’s instrument needs fixing so we’re going to the shop and then going to get groceries. Need anything?”

 

You thought for a second. “Not really, but a case of Mt. Dew would be nice.”

 

“Really.” You turned towards the voice, finding your mother next to the coffee machine.

“Not my fault you don’t drink it.” You say as monotone as possible.

 

“Maybe. Depends on what we have left.” Your father says. You nod and walk up beside your mother, grabbing a mug and pouring yourself some coffee.

 

“So, I invited Sans over.” You hope she wouldn’t freak out. She had a bad habit at that.

 

Instead of freaking out, she says, “Oh? You couldn’t have told me earlier?”

 

You roll your eyes. “The house doesn’t need to be spotless. Plus, I get the feeling he won’t mind it being slightly messy.” You look around the kitchen and living room, seeing it’s nearly spotless. “Plus, it looks fine.”

“Does it?” She says as she looks around. “Alright, then. When is he coming?”

“I’ll call him when I head up to my room. I’ll let you know when I get off the phone with him.”

 

As you make it to your room, you shut the door and fish your phone out of your pocket. Tapping at the screen as you sit down on your bed, you bring up his contact info and press the call button.

 

* * *

 

 

You had just barely woken up and started coffee when your phone rang. Slowly and sleepily, you look around for your phone to find it on the coffee table.

 

As you reach for it, you don’t recognize the number. You hit the answer button anyway.

 

“’Ello?”

 

“Sans! G’morning! You sound tired.” _Oh, it’s Zenyth._

 

“Yea, kinda. Too early to be up.” You slur as you close your eyes. “So why you callin, anyway?”

 

You hear a small laugh. “Did you forget we were gonna hang today? Might wanna hurry before my mother gets angry and starts using a broom as a weapon.”

 

“Alright alright. Let me wake up a bit. I’ll be over in, say,” you look at the time on your phone, “an hour?”

 

“Sure! We’ll have lunch ready by then. You’re not allergic to anything are you? Want anything specific?”

 

“m’not allergic to anything, but d’you got ketchup or barbeque sauce?”

 

You could hear her snort at that. “Of course. We like flavor, after all.”

 

“Then you’re all good. I’ll see ya in an hour.”

 

“Alright, see you then.” You hear the click sound as she hangs up.

 

Hanging out with humans. That’s new. You laughed as you thought a bit more. You’ve never hung out with anyone other than other monsters.

 

_This’ll be interesting._

 

* * *

 

 

A little over an hour had past, and Sans still hadn’t arrived. You were used to having friends and family be ‘fashionably late’, so you weren’t too worried. He’d make it, you were sure of it.

 

While you were waiting, you had texted your best friend, Xavier, to see if he was busy. Unfortunately, he was working until late that night. He said he would check to see when his next day off was so that he could come over. He didn’t often, since he lived about twenty minutes out of town, so his visit would be a treat.

 

He said he’d text you again when he was on break, and so the conversation died. You’ve known Xavier for nearly eight years, which was when you moved to Texas. You hadn’t been friends from the start, and definitely never thought you guys would ever be ‘best’ friends, but it happened.

 

You can’t help but laugh a little bit. Memories were hard for you, especially with most of them being filled with people you no longer associated with, things worth crying over, or things you could never forget no matter how hard you tried, but being friends with Xavier and a few other memories were worth going back and zoning out over.

 

You brought your hands up to your face and attempted to rub away the negative feelings that were starting to come forth. It didn’t work too well, but it brought you back to the present time. Looking at your phone, it was thirty minutes past when Sans was supposed to be here.

 

 _Where the hell is that bonehead?_ Realizing you made an unintentional pun, you groaned and let your head go slack into the hand that wasn’t holding the phone.

 

You got up off your bed and stretched, bending over backwards a little farther so that you could get your back to pop. Being Neo from the Matrix worked to crack a back like no other.

 

Coming back to your senses, you look out your window just in time to see the skeleton walking in front of your house, about to turn down the path to your front door. With a squeak, you run out the door and down the stairs. Making sure not to be a creep, you wait for the knock.

 

You realize your mother is giving you a weird look, but you know it’s only because she hasn’t seen you this excited for company in forever.

 

You haven’t seen yourself this excited for anything in a very long time, either.

 

( _knock knock knock_ ) 

 

* * *

 

 

You knock, and as you pull your hand away from the door, it opens.

 

_She was waiting, heh._

 

You looked up and saw her smiling at you. “Hey, Sans.” Her face then morphed into a frown and she glared at you. “You’re way late though.”

 

You smiled a bit and shrugged. “Eh, what can I say? At least I’m here, yea?”

 

She groaned, but a small smile came through. “I s’pose so. Come on in. Watch for the cats, though, and close the door behind you.”

 

As she moved back, you walked in, making sure the coast was clear before closing the door. One of the cats must have heard because upon hearing a scampering of paws, a cat was suddenly at your feet, sniffing at your shoes.

 

“Which one is this?” You asked, raising an eyebrow.

 

Zenyth turned around to see the cat. She smirked. “That would be Brad. Be careful, he’s an ankle biter.” She turned around and began speaking with her mother as you turned your attention back down to the cat, or rather, to Brad.

 

He was still sniffing, but had moved to the other shoe. You couldn’t understand what was so interesting to him, but cats were weird. He looked up at you with his mouth slightly open, turned away and rubbed against your legs. At that, you bent down to pet him on the head. He perked up for a bit, then walked off. _Guess that was an approval?_

 

Laughter sounded from across the room. You looked up to see Zen’s mother, Lilian, smiling at you. “He never takes to strangers like that. We usually have to put him up somewhere. Guess you’re special.” She said as she smiled, watching Brad walk towards her and up to the table. She goes to pet him and he backs away, only to go lay down on the couch.

 

“Well c’mon now, don’t be shy.” Zen is watching you with a sly smile. “My mom and the cats won’t kill ya. I’ll make sure of it.”

 

You chuckle and walk over. Lilian gets up and walks around the table to greet you. “Sans, I’m glad you’re here. I have so many questions for you, but first, let us have lunch. You’ll have to meet the rest of the family as well, when they get back.”

 

Surprised, you look at Zenyth. She shrugs. “Dad and Marcus had to go get an instrument fixed and get some groceries. My cousin’s around but she’ll only make an appearance if she wants to. So, for now, you’re stuck with mother dearest and me.”

 

_An instrument?_

 

Intrigued, you have to ask. “Your brother, what kind of instrument does he play?”

 

“The flute. He took it over after I graduated so he could stop using the school’s.”

 

“So wait, you play, too?”

 

She nods. “I played from fourth grade up until eleventh. I play a bit of piano and I started on the bassoon but didn’t really get far with it.”

 

Before you could ask anything more, Lilian interrupts. “Now, not to intrude on the conversation, but I’m going to start on lunch. You two can either be out here or you can show him your collection.”

 

Zen smiles and looks back at you. “Wanna check out my collection?”

 

You’re confused, but shrug anyway. “Sure, whatever this collection is sounds interesting.”

 

She laughs and heads towards the stairs. “Oh, it’s interesting all right.”


	6. Nerds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So. In case you didn't notice already, tag changes have been made, characters have been added, shit's happening. I'm slowly developing a plot while getting you guys used to my characters ;) 
> 
> Anyway. I'll be making a collection soon with a side chapter. The story will simply be called RFM, but I'll leave it at that. 
> 
> This chapter kinda ended being a filler, but at the same time, it didn't. If you get some of the references, please let me know. Nerds must stick together to survive. 
> 
> Also, if you're a Qunari-lover like me, you are my new favorite person. Hands down. <3 
> 
> Major question for the readers though. Have you guys had trouble with the POV changes? I realize nobody else writing in 2nd Person is doing what I'm doing so I don't know if that's making it confusing or not, going between Zen and Sans. I'll make changes if it is, it's no big deal. Please though, let me know. 
> 
> Enjoy and be sure to leave comments! 
> 
> ~LadyP
> 
> Update 5/4: edited to make more sense (maybe?)! Thanks to the wonderful [Moonflower01](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Moonflower01)!

The short flight of stairs led to five doors: one at the end of the hallway, two on the left, and two on the right. Zen gestured towards the first door on the right and said, “That’s the bathroom, just in case.” Pausing, she brings her hand back and looks at you. “You won’t need to use that will you.”

 

You smirk. “All bones here. No need for it unless I just wanna look at myself in the mirror.”

 

She rolls her eyes and turns back around, heading for the second door on the left. “Here’s my room.”

 

She opens the door and the first thing you notice is that the walls are a deep green. You walk in and look around.

 

The room is a decent size, with a queen-sized bed in the middle of the right wall, the bedding a dark brown. At the back wall, there’s a long window with a black curtain. There are a few posters of things that you have no clue about, CD’s and movies in a shelf, a good-sized television with a game console attached to it, and a dresser.

 

Something shines and catches your attention, and you notice a shiny metal laptop on the bed.

 

She raises her arms and says, “Well, here’s my realm. Before you can enter further, you must be put to the test.”

 

You raise your eyebrow. _A test what?_

 

She smiles and jerks her head to something behind you. You turn around and finally notice a cat, with brown, black, and large white blotches all over.

 

“Sushi will determine if you can stay for a while or if your stay shall be limited. What Sushi says, goes, because really, this is her realm, not mine.” She’s still smiling as she walks over to the cat and brings her hand up to its nose. The cat goes to sniff her hand, and after a good ten seconds, stops. Zen pets the cat, and turns towards you.

 

“Your turn.”

 

You slowly make your way towards the cat, who is perched on a cat post. The cat notices you and is watching you intently. You bring up your hand and immediately she goes to work, sniffing. Ten seconds later, and she’s still sniffing.

 

What seems like a total of a minutes' worth of sniffing, she stops and nuzzles your hand. You scratch her forehead a bit, and a purr starts to sound. Smiling, you turn to Zen, who is glaring at the cat.

 

“Oh sure, he gets accepted as your new person. Whatever, cat.” She looks at you, slightly smiling and chuckling.

 

“She’s accepted you, so you’re basically allowed to move in.”

 

“So, the test was to be sniffed by the cat?” You can’t help but smile a bit more as you continue scratching Sushi’s head.

 

“To be ‘accepted’ by said cat. Anyway, come on. I’m supposed to introduce you to my collection, which is basically my art, reading material, and entertainment stuff. Take a seat on the bed cause you’re gonna be here for a while.”

 

~~\|||/~~

 

Nearly 45 minutes later, you hear someone call for you and Zenyth.

 

Zenyth perks up and yells, “Okay! Be down in a second!” She puts down the book series she was introducing you to, which was something called Shannara. “Come on, lunch is ready.”

 

You followed her back down the stairs to find the living room table set up with drinks and what looked like stir-fry. Zenyth squeaked upon seeing the food and ran towards it, plopping down on the couch and claiming her seat. She looked towards you and patted spot next to her.

 

You sat down and she handed you your bowl of food. Steam was still coming off of it. You looked over to see Lilian coming into the living room, but instead of sitting down, she went to the television and put in a movie. She grabbed a couple of remotes and finally sat down, bowl in hand.

 

Zenyth looked over at you from watching her mother and asked, “You okay with a movie?” When you nodded she smiled. “Good, cause it’s a three hour long movie.”

 

She laughed at your surprise. “You ever heard of Lord of the Rings?” Shaking your head, she looked aghast. “Oh no, that simply will not do. You’re staying over until all six movies are done. Nu-uh.”

 

You laughed nervously and gave her a look. “Six movies? Are all of them this long?” When she nodded, you gulped, and she laughed quite loudly. When she relaxed, she took a bite of her food and looked at the screen, just as the movie was starting. “Welcome to Nerd House, the house you’re not allowed to leave until Queen Nerd says so.”

 

~~\|||/~~

 

Three hours later, you had decided to stay for the second movie. By then, Marcus and the father, Damian, had come home. During the intermission, you were introduced and had a small conversation with Zen’s father before he left the house yet again.

 

Marcus sat down with you, Zen, and Lilian, as the second movie began.

 

~~\|||/~~

 

By the end of the second movie it was nearly 7 P.M. and dinner was prepared and ready to be eaten. Dinner was quite interesting, to say the least. The family was open with you and talked about anything and everything, ranging from something that happened a week ago to random topics about things that interested them.

 

You were mostly quiet, just enjoying the conversation and learning a lot about them, but were more than happy to engage in the conversation when you were brought into it.

 

 _Who knew spaghetti could be this_ fucking _delicious._

 

“Zen, how goes college? You haven’t said anything in a while about it.” That caught your attention.

 

You looked up from a bite of spaghetti to see that Zen looked uncomfortable. She hadn’t told you she was in college, and definitely not what she was studying.

 

“It’s… It’s going okay. It’s one of the months where I build up my portfolio so it’s all up to me and my creativity. I’m getting slight writers block but it’ll pass.” She perked up a bit and got a slight smile. “But I can’t wait for next class. We get to study mythology.”

 

She whipped her head to you, eyes wide. “Oh! I totally didn’t even tell you about college, did I?” Mouth full with more spaghetti, you shook your head. “Well, I’m in college for a Bachelor’s in Creative Writing. The school I’m going to is accelerated but they care more about entertainment and media than any other school I would go to. I’m not interested in writing books or writing critiques like the other schools’ classes were centered around.”

 

She took a drink from her glass and continued. “I’m more going for stuff with gaming. Like developing the story and writing the dialogue for them.”

 

Consuming the current bite of spaghetti, you look up at her with a look of mild interest. “I’m afraid my knowledge of video games is limited to Mario Kart, so you’ll have to introduce me to what games you mean, sometime.”

 

Both Zenyth and Marcus look at you with wide eyes. Lilian gives a tiny laugh and coughs to get everyone’s attention. “Sans, you are welcome over any time, just make sure to call before you do. These two are not going to let you leave tonight if you really mean what you say.”

 

You nervously chuckle and bring your hand to the back of your neck. “Well, I don’t want to impose during my first night here, so just let me know when you’d like me to go an-“

 

“NO.” Zenyth practically yells.

 

Looking at her with wide eyes, you back up as far as you can in the chair.

 

She glares at her mother and then at you. “You didn’t know Lord of the Rings when you came here, and now you say you don’t know video games other than Mario.” She rubs her face with both hands and groans.

 

Marcus laughs at her and speaks up. “We’re introducing you to the world of gaming, and there’s no escape. If you want to go home, then we’ll drive you, but it’s Friday and we have nothing planned tomorrow.” He turns towards Lilian. “Can he chill on the couch or something?”

 

You open your mouth to refuse but close it quickly when Zenyth glares at you.

 

“Sure, I don’t see why not. Our house is open to you. We have extra blankets and pillows for you to use. If you want to go home, then Zenyth can drive you back.”

 

With that, the table full of people got up and started to clean up. _What did I just get myself into?_

 

* * *

 

 

Dinner cleaned up and dishes washed, you, Marcus, and Sans head back to your room.

 

As you head to the back and start setting up the game system and television, they make themselves comfortable on your bed. Sushi jumps down from her perch and joins them, meowing and demanding attention, which she receives plenty of from both people.

 

As the game system boots up, you turn towards them and pet the cat. “So, what’s this game called, anyway?” Sans asks.

 

“Dragon Age Inquisition. It’s by far one of my favorite games and more like how I’d want to create and write.”

 

Marcus looks at Sans and continues, “It’s really fun. You can be one of four different species, wield a weapon, use magic, fight dragons, loot dungeons-“

 

“Wait, dragons?” Sans looks perplexed.

 

As they continue to talk about what the game is, you turn around and sign-in to your account. Once it’s done, you boot up the game, pick your character with the most hours, and load it. Sitting back on the bed, you poke Sans in the arm and point at the television screen. He looks, and his face goes completely straight. 

 

“You have… horns.” You and Marcus both explode in laughter.

 

“This is one of the species you can choose from. I like this one better than the others, for definitely no reason other than she looks bad-ass.” Your character is a Qunari, which is a grey-skinned warrior with demon horns.

 

Marcus explains the history of the Qunari as you select an area where you know there’s a dragon you haven’t fought.

 

A few minutes pass as you get to the location and begin the fight. Sans is completely engrossed in the fight and cheers when you land a few good hits. This continues for a few hours until the three of you decide to relax.

 

~~\|||/~~

 

Television and game system shut down, you get out your laptop and go to YouTube to put on some music, which you end up choosing a new music group that you found just a few days prior.

 

Marcus and Sans were talking in-depth about how Sans ate and digested anything, but were quickly distracted once the music picked up a beat and voices started chanting. Marcus shook his head, knowing your weird taste in music was to blame, but Sans looked to be concentrating on it.

 

You smiled, and turned it up a bit. He brought his head up a bit. “What is that?”

 

You turned the screen towards him, which just showed the album art. “It’s a group called Wardruna. I just started listening to them but they sound amazing. Helps me concentrate.” {{Author Note - Wardruna: /watch?v=YA38ffX1AHo}}

 

“I like it. It’s way different than what I’m used to hearing.”

 

Conversations then continue with whatever you decided on conversing over. The topics ranging from Sans’ digestive system to the weather in Texas to imitating movie and video game characters. You continued to change the music as the songs ended, going from Wardruna all the way to a weird version of Caramelldansen, which Sans could not stop laughing over.

 

When you were finally starting to tire, you dared look at the clock.

 

_2:34 A.M._

 

 _Crap_. You didn’t work until 4 P.M. the next day but it was still really late. Looking back at Marcus and Sans, you noticed your brothers eyes were drooped, dark circles taking most of the space underneath. Sans didn’t look much better, but when he yawned, you knew it was time to sleep.

 

“Alright guys, hate to stop this thing we have goin’ on, but it’s way late and we’re all tired. Sans, we need to get you home or on the couch. Which do you want?”

 

He looked away in thought for a few seconds, but looked back and said, “I’ll sleep here. Don’t want you driving at night and I’m too tired to walk.”

 

You nod, and shoo Marcus out of your room.

 

Helping Sans get a pillow and blanket, you go downstairs to make sure the windows and doors are locked, as well as get him adjusted on the couch. As he sits down and starts getting adjusted, a thought comes to your mind.

“Uh, would you want a shirt to sleep in besides yours? Just uh…” You trail off as he looks at you with a sly grin.

 

“Now if you really wanted me undressed we should have just stayed in your room.”

 

You could feel your face turn red as you glare daggers at him. “You just had to make it like that, huh.”

 

He shrugs, keeping his grin. “You’re not denying it.”

 

Your hands hit your face harder than you anticipated, but through the slight stinging pain, you let out a frustrated groan, to which he gives a hefty, deep laugh.

 

“Sans, do you want a shirt or not.” A thought comes to your mind. You actually hadn’t thought about what he would like without a shirt. Would he look like an anatomical skeleton of a human or…

 

“If you’re offering, sure, why not.” You nodded, still hiding your face. “I’ll be back then.”

 

You head up to your room and grab one of your over-sized sleeping shirts - one of the comfier ones.

 

Coming back into the living room, he’s standing up and taking off his hoodie. Upon hearing you, he turns and you hand him the shirt. “I’d offer you some pajama pants or shorts but none of mine are clean.”

He shrugs. “No problem. S’all good.”

 

He then starts to take off his shirt. That is definitely not what you expected. You knew the basics of what an anatomical skeleton should look like, and Sans was definitely not anatomical. His bones were larger, thicker, and you could see little nicks on some of his ribs.

 

He catches you staring and chuckles nervously as he puts your shirt on. “Like what you see?”

 

You furrow your brow, still looking at his chest. “You’re way different than I thought.”

 

His smile then is light and his eyes soften. “Well, I’m a skeleton-monster, and not made of the stuff you are.”

 

Your right eyebrow rises. “Well, yea, not the nasty fleshy-bits, but we have a skeleton, too.”

 

His look then is one of what looks like a mixture of concern and extreme interest. He lets out a small laugh, which ended up sounding more like a huff, and turns towards you. His eyes take you in, from head to toe, and back to your eyes. “Wait, what?”

 

* * *

 

 

She’s confused now. Obviously this was something she thought you’d know, but you hardly knew a thing about human anatomy. This sudden revelation that humans were made of not only flesh and whatever else, but also bones was astounding.

 

“Did you not know that?” She continues to stare at you, confused, and a little surprised.

 

You shake your head, “I uh, I don’t know too much about human anatomy.”

 

Her eyes widen and her head cocks to the side ever so slightly. “You’re actually being serious. Hokay…”

 

She runs her hand through her hair while contemplating what she should do. Suddenly, she stops, looks at her hand, and then holds it out to you. “Here, cop a feel.”

 

Catching the joke but not laughing, you grab her hand, bringing it closer, and start to drag your finger along the top of it. You could feel the individual bones as you continue. You reach up to her wrist, twitching when it pops. You look at her with concern, where a light smile plays on her features. “Don’t worry, it’s only cause I do a lot of writing, typing, and gaming. Takes a toll.”

 

“Does it hurt?” You ask. She takes her arm back and twists her wrist, making it crackle and pop. You stare at it with mild concern as she says, “No, not usually. Just gives me problems and locks up occasionally. It’s really no big deal.”

 

She shoves her hand back at you and you go back to feeling the bones in her wrist, moving up her arm all the way up to her shoulder. The skeleton inside a human was nearly identical to your body, albeit with some differences. Going back to her wrist, which was suddenly the most interesting part, you carefully squeezed it. It shifted, and your attention was suddenly taken by something else. There was something warm that was throbbing within her wrist. Looking up, you noticed she was smiling at you.

 

“I’m guessing you don’t know what a pulse is, either.” She said. You shook your head and she took her hand back so that she could point to her neck. “Right here is another spot where you can feel it.”  
  
She grabs your hand and brings it up to the spot she pointed at. That rhythmic thumping continues, much stronger than her wrist. You take your hand away and look at her, urging her to continue. “That’s my heartbeat. The thump-thump you feel? That’s it pumping blood to the rest of our body. It keeps us alive.”

 

_So it’s like a soul._

 

“So, what happens when it stops?”

 

Her eyes get a sad look to them at your question. “If it stops, we die.”

 

“So it’s like our souls then.” When her eyebrows crease, you continue, “Our souls are the source of our life and magic. Once our life comes to an end, it breaks in two, and we turn to dust.”

 

“Wait, you guys just turn into… dust? Why?”

 

“Our bodies are purely magical. So when our magic disappears and our life ends, anything holding our physical bodies together disappears as well.”

 

She nods slowly. “That makes some sense, I suppose.” Yawning, she rubs her right eye and gives you a look that tells you she’s beyond tired.

 

A small laugh erupts from you as you watch her. “As cute as you are, being tired sucks. Time for bed.”

 

She glares at you, but relents. Going towards the stairs, she gives a tired wave.

 

“Night, Sans.”

 

You wave back. “Night, Zen.”

 

After you hear her door close, you sigh and sit back down on the couch. You can’t help but think that today was probably one of the best days you’ve had since being on the surface.

 

Both lunch and dinner were amazing. Definitely the best food you’ve had, besides Tori’s. She’d murder someone if she heard you say that Lilian’s was better. Laughing to yourself at the thought of Toriel being anywhere close to violent, you laid down and pulled the blanket over yourself.

 

Thoughts of your old life flooded back. Thoughts of Papyrus, of Tori, of Frisk, of the other monsters you considered friends. Of Grillby and his food and the comforting atmosphere of the bar.

 

_Of Gaster._

 

Groaning, you brought your hands to your eye-sockets and rubbed, hard, trying to get rid of the thoughts and memories that haunted you.

 

Most went away, but one thought remained, and that was what happened to Papyrus.

 

You made it a point to try and find a way to contact them within the next few months.

 

With those thoughts shoved aside, you went back to thinking about tonight and the family that had accepted you. Your thoughts went to the conversations at the dinner table, and then to the fun you had with both Zen and Marcus.

 

Your mind wandered from there to Zen. Watching her laugh and smile and glare and blush-

 

You felt your magic respond to the thought of what you said to make that happen. You could feel your magic react to show the blush you didn’t know you were trying to hide.

 

_I’ve barely known her for a week, what the fuck._

 

In the end, thoughts took over, and sleep didn’t come for a few more hours.

 

* * *

 

 

As you closed the door to your room, you sighed. Sushi meowed at you from the bed in what would probably be a welcoming. You grabbed a nightgown out of your dresser while slipping off your current clothes. Setting them aside and pulling on the gown, you crawled into bed.

 

As your eyes closed, thoughts pervaded your tired mind of tonight. It was fun, and definitely was the most fulfilling day in a long time, but you couldn’t help but wonder about something.

 

When Sans took off his shirt to put yours on, he had noticed you staring. A very dim and yellow light appeared on his cheekbones.

 

As you snuggled into the pillow and Sushi demanded to be under the covers, you made a mental note to ask Sans about it in the morning.


	7. Sans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I had a bout of motivation today, surprisingly, so I wrote four fucking chapters. 
> 
> I didn't quite like this chapter, honestly, but I mean, gotta go with it sometimes. 
> 
> Let me know in teh comments, yea?
> 
> ~LadyP
> 
> Update 5/4: edited to make more sense (maybe?)! Thanks to the wonderful [Moonflower01](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Moonflower01)!

The next day, everyone awoke by noon and had lunch, which was leftover spaghetti. Sans devoured his as if it was his only meal in a week. You all talked about the night before, and you all had questions for Sans, specifically about himself, his interests, his food preferences, all stuff you needed to know since you had all subconsciously agreed that he was a new friend to be adopted into your ever-growing family.

 

While getting ready for work, you asked Sans a few more questions about himself, mainly the magic he had and the fact that his bones were so malleable compared to yours that his stretched over his face to form lips. He, of course, smirked and laughed at the faces you made, but eventually gave you true answers, even showing you a major part of his abilities. Being unable to move because of a near-invisible force was one of the most unsettling things you experienced, but at the same time, it was thrilling because the magic surrounding you was warm, electric, and comforting. His left eye, you noticed, glowed with the same yellow energy, but as he did so, the left eye disappeared. You guessed it was because most of the energy was being focused there, to which he nodded.

 

You had to take a shower and get dressed, so he left to go downstairs. Nearly an hour later, you were ready and it was time to head for work. Sans and you said your goodbyes to the rest of the family and headed out.

 

An hour later, you were at work and he disappeared to get himself some things to take home. Destiny asked you a few questions, and nearly screamed when you told her that he had slept over. Sans came up and, well, he attempted to check out, but Destiny wouldn’t let him until he answered questions. Once fulfilled, she checked him out and he left to go home, and you continued your work.

 

Off the clock, you checked your phone and noticed a text from Sans saying that he’d be there to walk you back, and that he had picked up food.

 

That was the night you first experienced one of his ‘shortcuts’. Next thing you know, you feel a tearing sensation, echoing static, and then, it all stopped. You looked around and saw that you were home. Looking back to him with a face you couldn’t even describe yourself, he laughed wholeheartedly. He said he’d explain it later. You held him to that. He handed you ‘dinner’, which was actually a very nice smelling steak dish with vegetables.

 

“You can cook?” You asked with a look of shock on your face.

 

He grabbed his chest in mock offense. “Of course I do! What do you think I live on all day?”

 

You cocked an eyebrow at him. “I expected ready-made meals and ramen, honestly.” You shook your head and picked up a piece of steak to taste. It wasn’t the best steak you’ve had, but it was definitely up there. “Wow. Yum.” You looked at him with a small, chipmunk smile.

 

You headed to the door and as you opened it, and as you turned towards him, you saw him take the ‘shortcut’. It immediately reminded you of a slipspace rupture from Halo, which is basically just ripping a hole in space and going through it. You shook your head and huffed a laugh.

 

 

 

With the months that passed, your friendship with Sans only grew. He still kept a lot of things secretive about him, but you were learning more and more about him with each visit. He even allowed you over to his place a few times.

 

The first time you visited, you specifically remember him saying as you walked through the door that he had ‘cleaned up’. If cleaning up meant still leaving it in such disarray, you were glad he did even just a little bit. You both had coffee and watched a bit of television, but more or less helped him clean up the mess that was his house. You even entered his room, to his despair, and cleaned it up. He got moody with you after you left his room, and ran back to it. Making grumbling noises the rest of your stay, it eventually tapered off once he noticed just how clean his house was.

 

You made a point to grab his face, holding both cheeks, and said, “Look, I’m your friend now. Least I can do is make your realm livable, yes?”

 

He melted a bit. “Sorry about going into your room but you went in mine, so I went in yours and did something productive. I didn’t break anything, and I handled everything that looked important with care.” With that he nodded, but immediately furrowed his brow. “There’s a reason I didn’t want you in there, but…”

 

He trailed off and you knew what he meant. You saw the pictures. The ones that included other monsters, and the monsters you knew as Sans and Gaster. None of them included the Sans you knew.

 

You released his face and stepped back. Grabbing your left arm with your right, you said, “Look, I know there’s a lot about your past that is hidden, but, yes, I did see the photos. I watch the news every so often. I know what happened to those two professors.” He looked at you, with the little pricks that made up his eyes dimmer than usual. Looking down, you apologized.

 

“If you don’t want to talk about that, then let me know, cause honestly I won’t stop wondering.”

 

At that he shook his head. “Curiosity killed the cat, you know.”

 

He was joking, but you could tell he was anything but relaxed. You started to feel extremely uncomfortable in his presence. You had a really bad habit of getting into things you shouldn’t. This little habit of yours was one of the things that ruined a couple of your friendships. You couldn’t back out now that Sans knew what you saw, but there was nothing stopping you from feeling like the scum of the Earth.

 

“I… I should go.” You said as you turned towards the door. “I’m sorry.” You opened it and started to head out as a boney hand grabbed your wrist. You didn’t turn around, as your guilt was getting to you.

 

“Zen.”

 

You lifted your head towards the sky and exhaled. “Sans, if you don’t want to tell me anything I underst-“

 

“I want to tell you.”

 

You slowly turned your head back to look at him. His look was intense, his eyes set and locked onto you, and his left eye was slightly yellow.

 

“I want to tell you, I do, it’s just…” He looked down at the hand holding your wrist. “It’s hard.”

 

You turn towards him and embrace him in a hug. “I understand. I do. I’m sorry.”

 

“You’ve got nothin’ to be sorry about. It’s hard to trust people when most the world thinks you’re dead.”

 

That confirmed it.

 

You walked in and closed the door behind you. His eyes travelled to your face, and you dragged him back to his room. He dropped your hand as you entered the room, and watched you as you approached one of the pictures you had seen from earlier. It was the one with a lot of monsters, with Sans in the front, Gaster in the back, and another skeleton monster who looked like them.

 

You turned around to find him sitting on the bed, watching you intently. You walked to him and held up the picture. He took it and you sat next to him. You both sat in silence for a few moments before he handed the picture back to you.

 

“Ask what you want, and I’ll answer.” You’d never seen this level of seriousness in him, so it was a bit unsettling.

 

Glancing back at the photo, you pointed to the picture version of Sans, who in the photo, was wearing a blue hoodie, black gym shorts, and pink slippers. “What can you tell me about him?” You look at him. “About you.”

 

His mouth set in a line and his brow furrowed, thinking about what to say.

 

“That’s the old me. That’s who I was before the accident at the University.” He looked at you as you looked back to the photo.

 

“Then how are you… so different?”

 

“I honestly don’t know. I should have died in that explosion, and I get the feeling I did, but I woke up like this.” He gestures to his face. “I woke up looking more like my father than I thought possible.”

 

He sighed and placed his head in his hands. “I ran away. I was so afraid of myself and what I did.” You realized he was blaming himself for the deaths of the ones that had perished. _Oh no._

 

“I couldn’t let them see me. I didn’t want my brother to be near someone who had done such atrocious-“

 

You stopped him by tapping a knuckle on his skull. He looked up at you, confusion settling over his face. He noticed you glaring at him, and started to give you a nervous smile when you moved closer to his face.

 

“It’s. Not. Your. Fault.”

 

The shock and surprise on his face could nearly be heard, how quickly his face changed. “But I-“

 

“No. The news, a week after, said there was a malfunction in the machine. You were not to blame. Neither you or Gaster.” You grabbed his face and set your forehead against his. “Sans, it’s not your fault. It was never your fault.”

 

His eye-lights started to shiver, still dim, but you noticed a yellow liquid coming out of the corner of his left eye. His eyes closed and he leaned into you, his head falling to your shoulder. His shoulder shuddered, and you knew he was crying, either from relief or grief, you weren’t sure, but he didn’t make a sound either way. You let him cry for a little while before pushing him off gently. You got up and got a towel that you saw hanging near his bathroom door. You hated the feeling of tears on your clothing, but you wouldn’t tell him that right now.

 

You turned back towards the bed to find him staring at you, his eyes a little brighter and not shaking, but the yellow tears still flowing. You climbed back on the bed and hugged him close, so that he could continue. He did, and embraced you back.

 

Once he was finally calm, he let you go and settled back a bit to give himself some space. You handed him the towel so he could clean himself up. He handed the towel back to you and you wiped your shoulder of the remaining wetness. Satisfied, you put the towel back on the hook and turned towards him to find him, yet again, watching you, but this time he was smiling.

 

“Sorry 'bout that.” He said, his voice still a bit hoarse.

 

You shook your head and climbed onto the bed. “No need to be. I can’t begin to understand the toll that would have taken, let alone keeping it a secret from people for so long.” You paused, then looked straight into his eyes. “You’ve been blaming yourself this entire time.”

 

He looked down at his hands, which were interlocked with each other. “Yea. I gotta habit of doin’ that.”

 

You clapped your hands loud enough to startle the skeleton. “Welp. Now’s a good time to get outta that habit, yea?” You looked at him with wide eyes and a big smile. In turn, he nodded and smiled a bit bigger, but it fell soon after.

 

“I answered some of your questions, so can I ask some of my own?” He asked.

 

You relaxed a bit from your happy-high, and said, “Sure. Just depends what kinda questions or what kinda answers you want. At the end though, I’ve gotta suggestion to make, okay?” He nodded to that, and went into deep thought.

 

“Okay, so first question. How old are you, really?”

 

That caught you off guard. You were gearing yourself for some deep-ass questions, but instead asked how old you are. Exhaling a large breath, “I’m 21. Why?”

 

“I actually didn’t know. You always seem too mature sometimes, but other times really childish.” Seeing your glare he quickly raises his hands up in defense. “I meant in the good way!”

 

You laughed at his reaction, since you technically knew what he meant without him clarifying it. “I knew what you meant, bonehead. Any other questions?”

 

He sat there thinking for a little bit. “So, I can’t really think of any questions, but there’s one thing I’m interested in.” He gives you a side-glance before continuing. “What’s that suggestion you mentioned earlier?”

 

You shook your head. “Not now. Thought better of it. Though I’ll keep it in mind for later, just in case.” He wasn’t appeased by that answer at all, but nodded anyway. As you got off the bed, he made a noise that immediately caught your attention. His face was in his hands and he was grumbling something that you couldn’t hear.

 

“Sans, you okay?”

 

He grumbled more before lifting his head. “I’m running out of funds and I remembered I needed to go job hunting. I was gonna do it today but…” He trailed off, but you guessed you knew the reason he didn’t today. You kinda… took over that time he needed.

 

A light bulb went off in your head as you realized a few of your co-workers just quit, which opened up a few registers and job openings. It wasn’t hard work, nor did it give great hours sometimes, but it still paid pretty decent wages. For a part-time job, that is.

 

“Well, the store I work at? It’s got a few job openings…” Your hand was tangled in your hair as you looked at Sans, who was looking at you with the widest eyes you’ve ever seen him have. At that, you couldn’t help but smile. He looked a lot younger doing that. “It’s decent, and it should help a little bit. I can always help you look online if you have a certain field that you want to work in, since, uh… you were a scientist of sorts.”

 

You could tell he was contemplating on it, but wasn’t going to answer anytime soon. “I can put in a good word for you, and you can use me as a reference. I’ve been good with them for a few months, now.”

 

He exploded up and off the bed to embrace you in a tight hug, laughing. He backed up a bit to give you air and started rambling, “Sorry! Sorry, it’s just I thought I was going to have a harder time getting jobs and what I needed and I’ve been mulling over it for a few weeks now but-“

 

You cut him off by putting a hand over his mouth. He looked into your eyes, one eyebrow raised in question. “You haven’t gotten the job yet. Don’t get too excited.” You had a sad smirk on your face, knowing you just put a damper on his excitement but for a good reason, just in case he got shut down.

 

He nodded, and you took your hand back. “So, coffee sounds good.”

 

You laughed, “and maybe a movie?”

 

He smiled and dragged you out of the room.

 

 

 

A month more and he was settled into his new job as your co-worker. The Manager had been really accepting of him, and noted that he was definitely a hard worker. He mostly did chores, and got slightly introduced to the register, but that ended quick once people started avoiding his lane. He didn’t mind just cleaning, and even enjoyed it sometimes. Destiny and him became ‘friends’, though she still annoyed him quite a bit.

 

It all seemed to be going extremely well. You were helping him look for a job in physics, but he was timid and fearful of being found out, so it was slow. He was starting to become a regular visitor to your house, even getting your mothers’ okay to him coming over without asking. He still asked every now and then, but more often than not, he just waltzed in the door. Your dad even gave him a key.

 

Xavier came over every so often and those were the days known as Pun-Wars, since it never stopped until one of them left.

 

That suggestion you wanted to make kept hanging in your mind, waiting to be used at the right time. You were going to attempt to contact his family, the ones near Ebbot. His brother deserved to know he was alive, although not exactly the same, and well. Sans hadn’t exactly described his brother much, but you knew he loved pasta and was genuinely kind, so much so that he was naïve about the world and the people in it. You had called him a cinnamon roll at that point, to Sans’ utter confusion.

 

You knew one day you would contact them, but you weren’t sure when. Sans was trying so hard to keep them away, even though he himself wanted to contact them. He was afraid, no, terrified, of his own appearance that he could not allow himself to see his family, let alone call them. He didn’t want to see the reaction they’d have to knowing he was alive. That made you want to contact them more, but you weren’t going to do it unless you had a reason.

 

And oh, what a coincidence that the reason would be so soon.


	8. Rage

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So. Here we go. Posting within a day cause I wrote chapters. Too many to keep held back in my computer for my two-day wait limit. Nu-uh. Too excited.
> 
> Update 5/4: edited to make more sense (maybe?)! Thanks to the wonderful [Moonflower01](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Moonflower01)!

You were at home on your day off. You weren’t feeling so well, so it was a good reason to just chill and relax, play some games and drink some tea. It’d been two months since you got Sans a job at the store, and he had finally applied for three different positions pertaining to his science degrees. You both knew that the employers would likely ask questions, but that’s if they even accepted him. He had specified that he was a monster in the resume, so it was definitely a high chance of him being rejected immediately.

 

Either way, he was happy to be working with you, and working so close to home. He also applied at a few other places here in town including the smoke shop (you just recently found out that he smoked every so often, but you didn’t know how it effected monsters so you let it be) and the movie rental place. Xavier worked at the latter, which was a small plus.

 

Of course, your friendship and knowledge of each other had grown. He quickly became your second best friend, and you both confided in each other with things that could never be said aloud. Compared to your introductions, Sans had developed so much trust in you that he revealed many secrets he never thought he would, including things about his brother, his father, his life in the Underground, and so on, but when it came to the Monster Ambassador, he still remained silent. He simply said that they were okay now, and that they were friends, but never elaborated on the ‘now’ part.

 

You were watching a cooking show on Netflix, increasing your ever-growing knowledge on the culinary arts, when a phone call interrupted your heavy thoughts. Upon looking at the screen, you noticed it was work calling. They’d best not be calling me in…

 

You answered the phone with a simple hello, to which you heard a panicking Destiny on the other end. “Zen, you gotta pick up Sans from work today. Not now, but he gets off at four. Just-“

 

“Woah wait, why?” you asked, sitting up to fully pay attention.

 

“I don’t think it’s safe for him to be alone, especially walking to and from his home. Some douchebags came in today and started trying to pick a fight.”

 

That woke you up instantly. Concerned for your friends’ safety, you started getting up and dressed. “Did anything happen?”

 

“No, but as they left they said they’d see him later. Pick. Him. Up.”

 

“Yea, most definitely. You said four?” Looking at the clock, it was just 2:50 P.M.

 

“Yea, four. Zen, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him like this…”

 

What’d she mean by that? “Don’t worry, I’m coming early. Jackson have anything to say about these guys?”

 

“He’s letting Sans take a break in the back for a while. I’ll let them know you’re coming.”

“Please do. I’ll be on my way.”

 

 

 

Sans had never been so infuriated in his life, except for when Chara decided to play God. He should be used to this by now, knowing some people just can’t accept Monsters, and he knew the ‘south’ was notorious for being unaccepting. Of course, there were people like you and your family and friends, Destiny, Jackson, Xavier, and a few others, but you hadn’t been a socialite to know just how many people were actually good.

 

Working at the local convenience store, Sans saw it nearly every day. People purposely avoided his lane when he was a cashier, they avoided aisles he was cleaning or restocking, and wouldn’t touch items he had placed. That didn’t exactly bother him. What did was the fuckers that came into the store, literally asking for a fight. He knew something like that would happen, but didn’t expect the audacity to attack him in his workplace.

 

He was calmly restocking the shelves of canned goods, when two men approached him, from both ends of the aisle. They got close and stood there, smirking. Sans refused to show them he was concerned, and instead, had acted it out.

 

“Can I help you with anything?” he had asked. They stayed silent. He noticed two other men coming down the aisle as the first two did. “I can get the manager if you need something?”

 

“Yea, we need you to get the fuck outta our town, Monster-scum.” He looked at the speaker. The guy was slightly taller than him, but that’s all that looked intimidating. In Sans’ mind, he was the literal definition of a poser.

 

“Sorry, didn’t know you guys owned the entire town.” He said in as sarcastic a tone as he could muster. “Come with something liable other than your mouth and I might take that into consideration. As for now, you, and your word, mean nothing.”

 

That had pissed them off. They started to close in and he readied his powers to defend himself, left eye glowing yellow, when a voice boomed from the end of the aisle. “I suggest you fellas leave before I call the cops! Don’t need trouble in this store!” Jackson, holy fuck, you have impeccable timing.

 

“And who the fuck’re you?”

 

“I’m the manager, so I’ll say it again, leave the store or I’m callin’ the cops.”

 

The four of them walked past him, and were heading towards the exit, not before not so casually knocking down cans on both sides of the aisle. The leader, Sans thought, turned around and yelled, “My father will hear about this. Stupid monster shit. You’ll see us later, and I’ll make sure of that.” With that, they exited the store, and Sans began picking up the cans only to find he was trembling.

 

Jackson walked up to him. “Sans, go to the break room. I’ll deal with this.” Sans was about to protest when Jackson shook his head. “No. Shut up and go back there. I’ll deal with this. Destiny has already called Zenyth.”

 

Nodding, Sans headed towards the back. He sat down on a chair across the room from Destiny, who was still on her phone. He could only make out a bit of what she said, “I’ve never seen him like this…”

 

He realized his powers must still be activated. He brought his left hand up to his eye, and felt the familiar yellow fire licking his fingers. Sighing, he let it pass and calmed himself down. He buried his face into his hands and trembled even more. He couldn’t tell if he was worked up or scared. Either or, his body was not having it. He twitched when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Looking over, Destiny was there.

 

“I called Zen. She’s gonna be here soon and take you home. Though I think her and I both agree it’s not safe for you to be alone right now. Okay?” He could only nod.

 

Jackson came in and Destiny spoke in soft voices with him. Sans didn’t know how much time had passed, but he heard the break room door slam open. Startled, Sans looked up only to see you quickly embrace him in a tight hug. You didn’t let go for a long time, until his trembling had finally calmed down and he was okay to stand. He saw you turn to Jackson to say something, but Sans couldn’t hear it. He was numb.

 

You then dragged him out the door and was at the passenger side door when you stopped. You were looking away from him when you opened the door. He looked up and saw the four guys from earlier, watching.

 

“Oh! Hey Zen!” The leader greeted you. Zenyth shook her head and turned towards Sans and said, “Get inside. Don’t ask questions. I’ll inform you later.” He nodded and complied, simply getting inside the vehicle and closing the door, locking it.

 

“Don’t ‘hey’ me.” You said while going around the front of your car, trying to get to the drivers side door. “You guys are pathetic, just like you always are. What’s he done to you, huh?”

 

They looked almost offended, almost.

 

“Zen, no need to be like that. The guy needs to leave the town, s’all.”

 

Sans could tell you were getting pissed. He’s never seen you like this, and it was nearly amusing to see how your face hardly showed anger. Just a simple frown and a furrowed brow was all you needed. All the vehemence in your attitude came through in your voice.

 

“You never answered my question. Why’s he need to leave?” You pressed.

 

“He’s a monster, Zen. Why are you even in the car with scum like him?”

 

To Sans’ surprise, you laughed. “Cody, you should know. The one monster I’ve ever met shows more compassion for other people than you’ve ever shown even for your fucking dog, let alone anyone that’s dating you.”

 

Sans’ eyes widened. _Wait, is this… did they?_

 

“Oh, bringing out the past, are we? Can’t let it go, sweetheart?” The way he said the pet-name pissed Sans off all over again. He didn’t want to sit in the car any longer.

 

“Oh, no. I can’t let it go. You ruined me, remember? You ruin every goddamn thing you touch, fucking parasite. So stay the fuck away from me and my family.”

 

“That doesn’t include the thing in your car.”

 

“Yes, it does. He’s part of my family, more so than you ever were. You touch him, and I will fucking kill you.”

 

With that, you promptly got around the car. Sans unlocked the door as you reached it, and as soon as the car started, you peeled out of the parking lot, nearly hitting Cody.

 

You were shaking with rage. Sans was impressed for such a small human who acted quite happy, you were full of spite and venom. Just as Sans hadn’t confided in you over Frisk, you hadn’t confided in Sans over Cody.

 

“So, Cody. That's… that's your-“

 

“Yea, my ex. Good-looking prick, but god forbid you should ever show mental weakness.” You spat.

 

Sans didn’t press further, and even looked away. You sighed, “Look. Sorry. Now we’re both involved. Go figure the douchebags that hounded you were the guys I used to play Magic with, hang out with, and the leader of their precious little gang was the one guy I shared a good two years of my life with. Fuck him, fuck them, and no, I’m not taking you home.” You said that as you passed Sans’ house when Sans’ perked up trying to point that out.

 

He smirked. Settling back into his seat, he let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. About ten more minutes and you were home. The car ride, after passing Sans’ place, was silent, but comfortable. As you pulled into the driveway and shut off the car, you didn’t make a move to open the door. You sat there, glaring at the steering wheel. _Stupid fucking H logo, too fucking shiny._

 

“Hey.” Sans spoke up. You didn’t look at him, but it pulled you away from glaring at the logo.

 

“We’ve both had a shit day it seems.” He says, just stating what you both feel.

 

You nodded. “Yea, so it seems. I’m pretty sure we can just chill in my room, get dinner in there and avoid the family today. I feel like doing that.” Sans laughed at that, although it rang slightly hollow.

 

“Sure. I think we both need a drink though.” He hinted.

 

At that, you smiled and looked at him. “Depends. I’m all good for Irish Cream or Kahlua, nothing hard.” Oh the shit-eating grin that plastered his face then got you concerned like no other.

 

“So, you saying you want a blow job then?” His shit-eating grin grew bigger as your eyes did. You opened your mouth a few times, but no words came out. You were stunned into silence. You didn’t realize your face getting redder by the second, but Sans sure did.

 

Oh, the laugh that followed.

 

He straight up guffawed at your pain. A few minutes pass, yellow tears slightly streaming from him, when he finally looks back at you.

 

“A blow job is a mixed drink, Zen. It’s part Irish Cream, part Kahlua, and topped with whipped cream. Learned that from my pal, Grillby.”

 

If your face was any hotter you’d _be_ Grillby.

 

“So glad you clarified that, you know, after your laughing spree.” You said sarcastically. “But you know, you’re actually really cute when you snort.”

 

That got him.

 

Yellow instantly dusted his face, his smile got nervous, and his eyes wavered. Slowly, he looked at you. “Did I really snort?” You nodded, which only made the blush glow brighter. He quickly reached back to his hood and pulled it over his head, where he promptly tightened it, so only a bit of his mouth was showing. The little show only made you laugh harder.

 

It was near five when you both finally exited the vehicle and hurried towards the door. You let Sans in first, but right before you followed, a horn sounded from the street. You turned and saw Cody in his car, waving. You glared and threw up your middle finger. You could hear him laughing as his vehicle sped off.

 

Mood instantly soured, you slammed the door behind you as you got inside. Your mother was on the couch, noticing your faces. “Guys, what’s wrong?”

 

Sans kept his hood on his face, but scrunched his shoulders and looked away from her. You watched him but told her, “Shit happened while Sans was at work. He’s not safe anymore. Cody and his gang want him out of the town.”

 

At the mention of your ex, Lilian’s mood instantly darkened. “Alright. Sans.”

 

He looked towards your mother, lifting the hood only slightly so that his eyes were visible.

 

“You can stay here for as long as you need to. I’ll even open my house to you if you feel the need to move in.” The look she gave him was so set you both knew she was beyond serious. It’s the exact face she gave your cousin when Lilian allowed her to move in.

 

He nodded slowly. “I’ll stay here for a bit, but I’ll have to go home eventually. If anything happens, I’ll let you know.” She was satisfied with his answer, so nodded and headed towards the kitchen.

 

You grabbed Sans’ hand and headed towards the stairs. “Mom, can you make us some coffee with Irish cream and Kahlua? I think we both need that.”

 

“Sure thing. I’ll bring it up when it’s ready.”

 

\|||/

 

A few hours later, and full of coffee and liquor, you both told Lilian you’d rather eat in your room. When dinner was ready, she brought it up, and you both ate while watching a movie.

 

You both hadn’t really talked since coming home, just letting the silence between you settle. There was nothing that could be said, but everything could be felt. The trembling of Sans when you held him at work, the pure rage you felt while yelling at Cody, the way the H logo on your steering wheel was too shiny so it pissed you off, nearly everything today could be transferred through words in a way neither of you meant.

 

You weren’t exactly sure if Sans was paying attention to the movie, seeing as he fidgeted with everything from the cat to the bedding to your hand, but you weren’t. You wanted nothing more than to bring up that suggestion, since only now did it seem like a more than reasonable time for him to contact his family. His life was in danger, and he needed somewhere to go if living here got too dangerous.

 

You decided then, that if he refused, you’d do it anyway. If it ruined your friendship, so be it. You just wanted him safe.

 

You looked over at him. His eyes were intent on the screen, though again, you couldn’t tell if he was actually watching it or not. His face was nowhere near relaxed, as his brow was furrowed and his mouth was set in a thin line.

 

“Sans.” You said his name, attempting to drag him out of his thoughts. It worked a bit, but he didn’t quite register that you were speaking.

 

“Sans.” You said again, a little more persistently.

 

He looked over at you, a curious gaze set on you. He gave a question hum, and turned a bit towards you once he noticed how serious your gaze was. “What’s up?”

 

You took a moment to gather your thoughts, then said, “Sans, you remember when I mentioned something about a suggestion?”

 

He nodded, so you continued. “Well, I think that suggestion just became relevant. So, here it is. I suggest we get in contact with your family, more specifically, your brother.”

 

His eyes widened and he sat up. You took that as your cue to sit up as well, showing him you are completely and utterly serious. He continues to look into your eyes for a few moments, searching for something, but what, you’re not sure of. He blinks a few times, and then visibly relaxes. He sighs, bring out his phone, clicking through it before settling over something. He then hands it to you without looking up. You take it, and the contact he had settled over was simply labeled PAP.

 

You look back at him, only to see he’s still looking down. You place your right hand on his shoulder and place your forehead against his. “I’ll do most of the talking, okay?” He grunts a noise, and you know that’s all you’ll get.

 

You back away from him and click call.


	9. Family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here it is guys. The call. 
> 
> I know a few of you are probably concerned about Papyrus, so, I encourage you to read this before reading this chapter. It's Papyrus's POV during the months of the accident and until this chapter. 
> 
> http://archiveofourown.org/works/6159310

Sans looked at you, hearing the ringing of the phone line. You were looking somewhere but nowhere at the same time, simply concentrating on the call. You were so serious about calling Pap that Sans knew you’d find a way, even if he said no. In the end, seeing that determination in your eyes, he gave up and handed you his phone.

 

On the second ring, he looked down and reached for your hand. You gave it to him, and he started observing and feeling your hand, the bones within, and the fleshy parts that covered it. He could feel the things you said were veins, and he loved pressing that part on your wrist that revealed what you called your heartbeat, the life source of humans.

 

The third ring sounded and he was slumping. Had the number disconnected? Had something happened to-

 

A loud booming voice sounded from the phone, but he couldn’t make out what they had said. You gasped and covered your mouth.

 

“Is that him?” You whispered.

 

“I think so… I can’t make out what he’s saying.” Sans’ breathing started to waver, getting unsteady and quick. You knew he was starting to panic, so you gave him your hand back. He concentrated on it, though his breathing was still too quick.

 

The voice sounded again, and this time, you responded. “Sorry! Sorry. I’m sorry. I just, uh…” You paused, praying to something or nothing for strength. “This… This is Papyrus, correct?”

 

“…” The voice boomed, but Sans couldn’t understand it. He looked at you to find the biggest smile on your face. Sans eyes widened in return. Papyrus is alive. _Oh my god… He’s fucking alive!_

 

Tears started streaming down his face, uncontrolled, like a busted dam.

 

“I’m just a friend of a friend. I have on request, Papyrus. I have someone here who is an old friend of yours, who would love to talk to you, but not over the phone.”

 

“…” He furrowed his brow, and you shook your head.

 

“I’m afraid not. We don’t live near you. I was thinking of a video call. Do you have something called Skype?”

 

“…”

 

“That’s fine. Just… Just text me if they do, okay? If they don’t we can just do the phone call.”

 

“…”

 

“Can you put it on speaker?” He asked. Your smile softened. “Are you sure?”

 

He quickly nodded, and you clicked the speaker button.

 

“If I told you, it would ruin the surprise. I’m sorry for being cryptic, Papyrus, but I mean you no harm, I assure. You. Please, see about asking your friends about Skype, ok?”

 

“I SHALL DO THAT. MAY I ASK WHAT YOUR NAME IS?”

 

Sans’ hands flew up to his mouth to keep himself from squealing. The tears kept coming, but they weren’t from sadness. You heard the slight squeal that still escaped Sans, and gave a little laugh.

 

“My name is Zenyth.”

 

“OKAY, ZENYTH, I SHALL CONSULT WITH MY FRIEND AND SEE IF I CAN GET THIS THING YOU CALL SKYPE. I SHALL TEXT YOU SOON.”

 

“Okay, Papyrus, thank you.” The line clicked and was dead. You looked at Sans with barely contained excitement. His eyes, still watered down from the happy-tears that continued to flow, looked at you with the brightest white you have ever seen.

 

You couldn’t hold it any longer.

 

You squealed and jumped up and down, so happy that you were going to meet his brother. Sans let his own squeal out, which stopped you and made you stare at him in wonder.

 

His squeal was… weird, to put it bluntly. His voice was deep, so the squeal more or less matched your voice. His blush came through as he caught you staring at him and he quickly grabbed his hood and attempted to pull it over his head. You stopped him and hugged him, arms reaching around his neck.

 

The excitement continued for a little while until you two finally calmed down, realizing the extent of what you two were about to do. You logged into your computer and got Skype up, and, to your dismay, had to re-login. While you attempted to figure out your password, Sans watched the phone intently, occasionally clicking on something.

 

Finally figuring out your password and logging in, you looked over to Sans and found him resting on a photo. He glanced at you without raising his head, and switched the phone around so you could see the photo. It was of him and Papyrus, well, the old him. A few other monsters were in the background, one being a blue fish person with red hair, the other being a human child, who you assumed was Frisk. They looked to be in a kitchen, which had been pelted with red blotches and noodles. It was a selfie, taken by Sans, and his brother looked to be yelling at the fish, while Frisk was sitting happily on the counter eating a fistful of noodles, waving at the camera.

 

“That was one of our ‘cooking lessons’ with Undyne.” Oh, so their name was Undyne.

 

“What kind of monster are they?” You asked. They looked quite feminine, but you wanted to make sure.

 

“She’s a fish monster. Her magic is used to summon spears.”

 

“Appropriate.” You said with a slight smirk. Another question popped into your head. “How old is Frisk?”

 

He got quiet for a bit, then said, “She’s about 16 now. She was 14 in this picture.”

 

You smiled. “She’s cute. Is she Asian?” The blank stare you got in return meant you weren’t gonna get an answer for that.

 

“Never mind. Humans have different races, like monsters have different types. I’m part Russian, so that’s why my hair is dark and thick and my skin is kinda pale. I’m saying she looks Asian cause from the picture her eyes seem to have the monolid that Asians have. Makes her look really cute.”

 

He hummed in slight agreement; though he was probably just doing that cause he didn’t know what that had meant at all. Oh well.

 

At that moment, his phone chimed.

 

You both gasped and looked at each other before he fumbled with the phone, getting to the message.

 

**PAP: UNDYNE SAYS HER USERNAME IS ROYALGUARDFOREVER20 SO YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO CALL US NOW.**

 

Just after reading the message, another one comes in.

 

**PAP: SHE WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT YOUR USERNAME IS.**

 

Sans looks at you, and you tell him.

 

**ZEN: My username is Lady_Perun. I will add you and start a call.**

 

With that, you go to add the username that Papyrus sent. Unfortunately, the all-caps thing didn’t work, so you tried without caps, and it found her.

 

Once added, you start a video call. The laptop makes a chiming noise, a little bubbling noise, and then a ringing noise. This gets Sans and you nervous.

 

“Here we go.” You say, giving him a small smile that doesn’t reach your eyes. He returns it.

 

The call is answered, and a blue fish lady takes up the screen.

 

“Hey Punk! Who’re you?” She practically yells at the camera.

 

“I’m Zenyth. I called Papyrus earli-“

 

“Yea yea I know that. But who ARE you? What do you want with Papyrus?” Oh, she’s just being protective.

 

“I want only to speak with him. I have an old friend of yours here with me, though I wish to speak with Papyrus first. Your friend is a little…” You search for the right word, not sure what exactly Sans is feeling. “Overwhelmed at the thought of contacting their friends again.”

 

Her one eye glares at you for a second before you hear the booming voice of earlier.

 

“UNDYNE, I THINK THAT IS FINE. I SHALL TALK WITH THIS HUMAN.”

 

Undyne looks over the computer and gives a concerned look to Papyrus before looking back at the screen. “You do anything to hurt him-“

 

“I know, you’ll get me. Don’t worry, I won’t do anything.” She nods and gets up, only for her seat to be taken by a very tall skeleton. Your eyes widen when you realize he’s wearing the jacket that Sans used to in the old photos.

 

You put yourself on mute quickly and turn to Sans. He looks at you with an eyebrow cocked. “Sans, he’s wearing your jacket.” You expected surprise to be covering his face, but instead, it’s fear. Unbridled fear.

 

“HUMAN, WHAT IS IT YOU WISH TO SPEAK WITH ME ABOUT?” Papyrus calls from the laptop. You quickly go back to it, unmute yourself, and begin the conversation.

 

“Hey, Papyrus. I’m sorry about the video call, I just wanted to make sure I was speaking to the right person.” He jumped a bit as you said ‘person’ but quickly recovered.

 

“YES, WELL, THE GREAT PAPYRUS IS HERE, AS YOU REQUESTED.”

 

You giggle a bit at the title. “Papyrus, you know how I said I had an old friend that wanted to speak with you?”

 

He nodded and said, “YES, THAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THIS CALL, IS IT NOT?”

 

Nothing gets past him, heh. “Yes. Yes it is. I want to ask you to promise something before I let you talk with them.”

 

“A PROMISE?”

 

“Yes. All I ask is that you take this seriously. My aim is not to hurt your feelings or bring up things that I know would hurt you, my aim is simply to bring you and your… friend… back together.” You hesitate on the word ‘friend’ as you look at Sans, who seems to still be in shock.

 

“HMM. WELL, I DO NOT LIKE MAKING PROMISES, BUT IN THIS CASE, HUMAN, I SHALL.”

 

You smile. “Okay, I hold you to that.” You look towards Sans and pat his knee, which makes him break out of whatever daze he was in. “Ready?”

 

He gulps and slowly nods. Moving over to your side, you move the laptop so it’s mostly viewing Sans. The fear on his face is still shown through the camera lens. He starts trembling as he sees Papyrus on the screen. You reach over for his hand and hold it tight, which he does in return, which seems to calm him down.

 

“OH, HELLO THERE. I DO NOT BELIEVE I HAVE SEEN YOU BEFORE, FRIEND, THOUGH YOU DO LOOK FAMILIAR. WHAT IS YOUR NAME?”

 

Oh bless this little cinnamon roll. You look at Sans, his mouth open for a few moments before he speaks, though his voice wavers. “Sans… My name is Sans.”

 

Taken aback, Papyrus’ mouth opens in shock. His head shakes left and right, disbelieving what he’s heard.

 

“No…” His voice is whisper soft, which seems unnatural for him. “No. Sans is dead.”

 

Sans sighs, and rubs the back of his head. “I thought I died, too, Paps.”

 

You could see orange tears threatening to spill from the other skeletons face. The nickname must have registered, or… you’re not sure what did, but obviously something significant did.

 

“WAIT.” Papyrus’ normal voice coming through with a squeak. “SAY SOMETHING ONLY HE WOULD SAY.”

 

Sans smiled. “There’s a few things I could say Paps, but one thing I want to say would probably sound fishy.”

 

You look at Sans in confusion as he mouths ‘pun’. Oh, Undyne. Fish. Right.

 

Papyrus glares at the screen. “A LOT OF PEOPLE MAKE PUNS, INCLUDING ME.”

 

Sans’ smile softened, but then a mischievous look took over. “Well, I still have the title of the Legendary Fartmaster. Give me some credit, Paps.”

 

Oh how Papyrus squealed at that. Undyne must have been alerted because next thing we hear is growling and a spear is aimed at the camera. “What’d you do?!” she roars.

 

Papyrus turns around and puts his hands up, to her confusion. He points at the screen and she looks, confused more. “What is there to see, Papyrus? A human and a monster. Cool.”

 

Papyrus shakes his head. “He said he was the Legendary Fartmaster, Undyne! It’s him!”

 

Her eye gets wide as she stares at him, then slowly looks back at the computer screen. Her head shakes in disbelief. “No. No, he’s dead. Papyrus, you and I saw the building explode.”

 

Sans spoke up finally, irritation setting him on the edge. “Undyne, it’s me. I swear, Zenyth wouldn’t lie to you.” That startles her and she hurries to the screen. She’s huffing, probably with too much energy or rage, but says nothing for a few moments. She backs up, confusion marking her face yet again, and says, “You don’t even look like Sans.”

 

“But I look like Gaster.”

 

That made them both look at the camera with wide eyes, unfiltered surprise mirrored in both of them.

 

“Look,” Sans begins. “I don’t know what happened either. I should have died. I was near the machine when it exploded. Next thing I know, I’m awake and I…” He pauses to look at his hand. “I look like this.”

 

He looks at the camera again. “Papyrus, I ran away. I was so scared. Once I saw myself, once I saw what had been done to the building, I couldn’t…” He started to sob, so you took over.

 

“Papyrus, Sans told me most of what he knows. He blamed himself until a few months ago for the deaths of the people in that building. He thought he killed them.” Undyne began to shake her head but you continued.

 

“Undyne, I know. I told him. I’ve been trying to get him out of that dark place since he moved here. He’s gonna be living with us for a few days, so we can video chat with whoever is there.”

 

That perked them up. They both got up hurriedly and ran somewhere off screen, where we could only hear raised voices and crashing of objects and bodies.

 

While they were gone, you looked to Sans, only to find he was looking at you with an emotion you couldn’t tell. You seemed to surprise him, as he turned yellow and looked away. Laughing lightly, you took your hand from his and wrapped it around his shoulders. He leaned into you and exhaled.

 

“Thanks, Zen.” He said in a breathy sigh.

 

“No problem, Sans. Hope you know I was gonna do it with or without you.” He chuckled.

 

“Yea. Kinda figured.”

 

A blur appeared on screen, causing you both to look.

 

Frisk.

 

Sans’ head lifted up a bit and he smiled. “Hey, Frisk.”

 

Her eyes were wide and watery. The hair on her head shaking as though she couldn’t understand. She reached out and went to type. You got out the chat, and looked at Sans in question.

 

“She’s mute.” He stated. Ah.

 

**UNDYNE: How? We heard about the building. Undyne and Papyrus both saw it…**

 

You grimaced. You saw Sans’ pained expression, knowing that would be a hard thing to answer.

 

“I don’t know, kid. I should have died. I remember turning into dust, but then… I was… this.” He gestured to himself.

 

**UNDYNE: You look like your dad now.**

 

Both your eyes and Sans’ widened. Frisk was way too intuitive.

He chuckled nervously and brought his hand to the back of his neck. “Uh, yea. My only assumption is that him and I were close enough to each other that when we died, my dust and his goop combined, and…” He paused, frustration mounting.

 

“I don’t really know, kid. That’s the only thing that makes sense.”

 

**UNDYNE: You and Gaster have headstones in our backyard… Uncle Sans, we really thought you were dead…**

 

With that, Frisk started to cry. Sans looked at you for help and you shook your head. You couldn’t help with that. This was his issue.

 

Sans groaned. “Frisk, I’m sorry. I thought I had killed those people by doing something stupid in the machine. Then I noticed my new body and I was scared… So scared, Frisk. I’m sorry…”

 

He shook his head and looked back at Frisk. “How’s Tori? Asgore? Alphys? Everyone?”

 

Frisk looked up at him, but before she could type, she looked beyond the camera. Holding up her index finger, she left. A few moments later, another monster filled the screen, this time, a little yellow… lizard? Dinosaur?

 

“Alphys.” Sans breathed.

 

“Sans…” She replied. “How… How is this possible.” It was a question that sounded more like she was demanding the answer.

 

“Alphys, I’ve told the others exactly what I know. I died. I shouldn’t be here, but here I am, and I look like my father.”

 

She shook her head. “But you look like you as well.” She tapped her glasses, seemingly in thought.

 

“No…” She said, a look of incredulous surprise crossing over her features. “Could you have managed to do the…” She quieted for a moment, then said, “The Dust Fusion?”

 

Dust Fusion? Sounds like something the Dragonball Z characters would be interested in.

 

Sans' breath hitched and he scratched at his chin in thought. “But how would that even work with Gaster being goop? I turned into dust, yea, but Gaster didn’t. On top of that, doesn’t a ritual need to be done for that?”

 

“Yes but-“ She cut off her sentence as her attention was drawn elsewhere. “Oh d-dear.” She stuttered.

 

“Alphys? What’s wrong?” Sans asked, concern littering his voice and features.

 

“Um, I h-have to g-go. Sans,” she said, looking directly into the camera, “she’s a-angry.”

 

You felt Sans tense. He tensed so hard your fingers were being drained of their right for blood.

 

“Sans, who’s she talking about.” You looked over to find him sweating profusely.

 

He sweats. That’s new.

 

“Sans?” You asked again.

 

He side-glanced you as a nervous smile played across his face. “Tori.”

 

Just then, a large thud sounded from your laptop. As you look over, a very large, but beautiful, goat-monster sat in the chair.

 

Her fur was alight in flames.

 

Oh boy.


	10. We'll Ne'er Be Apart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Longer chapter name *gasp*
> 
> I'm gonna go ahead and warn you about chapters 11 and 12, as I'm currently working on them right now. The bridge between them is kicking my ass and it may take me a few more days to upload. Totally came up with more ideas for chapters way in the future. 
> 
> Anyway, enjoy this chapter. Hopefully you like this one, cause I did. I found a new song that I fell in love with and it fit SO PERFECTLY WITH HOW THIS CHAPTER WENT that I added it in there. I'll bold it when you get to it ;) 
> 
> ~LadyP

You and Sans sat there, staring at the screen while the goat-monster stared back, flames flickering to random heights and light levels. Her face was twisted in pure anger, but you could see a twinge of something… sad. You didn’t know if it was just plain sadness or something more complex, but either way you couldn’t tell. Sans was still tense as the stare-off continued, and your fingers had long turned numb and emitted needle-like pain every so often when he trembled. He had turned a shade lighter, almost like chalk. How he managed that you weren’t sure but his usual answer would be magic and science mumbo-jumbo you could never even begin to understand.

 

You lightly squeezed the hand he held, which made is head dip slightly. The goat-monster took this as her cue, and spoke in a very low tone.

 

“Sans. What is the meaning of this?”

 

He turned in on himself at her words. Her voice was gentle, like a mother to a child, but the way her anger came through you knew this was not someone you wanted to piss off, like Sans had managed.

 

He continued to shake, seemingly unable to form words. He started crying, which only made the shaking worse. The yellow tears streamed down his face slowly, sliding off his face and dripping down onto his pants and his other arm. How could this woman have such an affect on him?

 

“Sans. I expect you to answer me. Surely you can do that since you have had enough time alone while you have remained hidden from us.”

 

He twitched. His eye lights were flickering wildly, and were noticeably dim. They were so dim they were nearly gone. You were starting to really worry and… no, you were actually getting angry at the goat-woman. You side-glared at the screen. She was still on fire, but it had lowered and looked a bit less… feisty.

 

“Sans.” She said, this time with much more restraint to the anger in your voice, but it was still there.

 

“I-I’m sor… I’m so sorry, Tori.” It was just a whisper, but the look on the goat-woman’s showed she had heard him. Her flames died and she sat up straighter, looking more… what was the word… regal?

 

If realization had a sound, then that weird ding that just went through your mind was definitely it. Tori, short for Toriel, who was the former Queen of all monsters. You were talking to this woman who has only been absolutely respected and endeared, and the only emotion you could feel towards her was irritation. Not a very great first impression, Miss Toriel.

 

“Sans, I ask that you explain why you did this. We all...” She trailed off, looking away from the screen as she took a deep breath. Once she exhaled, she looked at the screen again. “We thought you were dead, Sans.”

 

He finally gained the courage to look up at the screen, his face still stained from the shed tears. His breathing was shaky and uneven, and when he spoke, his voice sounded he was in distress.

 

“Tori, I’m sorry.” His voice was low and raspy. “I was so afraid. I watched the blast, watched myself and felt myself turn to dust. The pain, the emotions, everything I felt then, I never wanted to feel again, so when I woke up as someone new,” he gestured to himself and to his face, “I couldn’t bear it. I ran away cause I was scared. I ran away cause Gaster still died. Tori, I was never running from you guys…”

 

His free hand went up to his face, crying into it, as he closed his eyes.

 

“…I was running from myself.”

 

Silence from you, Toriel, and the room behind her came quickly and harshly. All that could be heard was Sans’ sobbing. A few moments later, you looked up to the screen to see that Toriel had dipped her head, a powerful sadness crossing over her features, and you could see tears lightly falling from her eyes. At this time, you realized how delicate she really looked.

 

Eventually, the silence got to you and you felt the need to speak up. Sans was your friend, and you were going to be there for him, even to help him fight against his own family.

 

“Miss Toriel.” You said, determination ringing like a melody in your voice.

 

She glanced at the screen with a confusion that seemed she didn’t notice you were even there when this conversation began.

 

“My child, forgive me, I did not notice you there. What is your name?”

 

“My name is Zenyth.” She smiled, although it was still riddled with emotions.

 

“Zenyth. What a beautiful name. May I ask how you know Sans?”

 

He gripped your hand, then released it. You glanced at him to find him looking at you with something akin to interest, but not quite the same.

 

“He moved here several months ago,” you said, still looking at Sans, “and my family and I welcomed him to the neighborhood. We became friends pretty fast, and I even helped him get a job.”

 

“My child, I thank you. Did he tell you who he was?” Asking the big questions now, is she?

 

You looked to the screen again to see her head was slightly cocked to the side.

 

“Not at first. I was helping him clean his house and found the pictures. Though…” you trailed off as a thought came to your mind, the one where both you and your mother were suspicious of him. “Even if he didn’t look like the Sans that was on the news, my mother and I were still suspicious, so when I found the photo of all of you, it just confirmed my suspicions.” You smirked at the surprise that now covered Sans’ face.

 

“Yea, bone-boy. I suspected it all along.” You nudged him and the nervous smile returned, though worry started playing across his face now.

 

“Forgive me, my child, if I scared you earlier.” You shook her head to stop her from continuing.

 

“You didn’t scare me, Miss Toriel, but you more or less pissed me off for affecting Sans so much.” She looked genuinely shocked at that. Heh.

 

“Sans is my friend,” you continued, “and I will defend him. As long as you promise not to show such vehement anger again, I’ll let the chat continue. We’ve had a pretty bad day, and I was hoping a chat with his family would help.” You glared daggers at the screen and saw Toriel grab for her chest. “So I hope that you all can help. He needs you as much as you all need him, it seems.”

 

She slowly nodded, looking a bit sheepish. “Again, forgive me. My anger was the culmination of the rest of the children here.” Her brow furrowed then, and she looked at the screen straight and determined.

 

“Though, Sans, you do have a lot to apologize for. I cannot say that I forgive you as of now, but it is not me, nor many of the others, that you need to apologize to. Your brother has been most distraught.” He nodded at her words, but she shook her head.

 

“Sans, you do not understand. He was in danger of falling.”

 

Sans tensed incredibly. His hand gripped yours so tightly that the bones in your hand were screaming in protest. He stopped breathing and the shock that presided over his features was so palpable that the aura around him seemed to tense with him. A heaviness to the air made it near impossible to breath, as it pressed down on your chest. You could feel the crackling of energy and instantly knew it was Sans’ magic acting out. You quickly grabbed at his shoulders and shook him, to which he started breathing but the energy refused to dissipate.

 

What the hell did that mean? Falling? What?

 

“Sans!” you yelled as loud as you could, trying to not wake the other family members, though it made Sushi jerk awake from her cat post in the corner. Her fur bristled at the energy, and she started growling in the direction of Sans.

 

You grabbed his cheekbones and turned his face towards you where you smacked your forehead against his. Whispering calming words, the energy started to dissipate and was replaced by Sans, yet again, trembling. Now you were angry.

 

Whipping your head to the screen, you glared at Toriel. She looked about as shocked as you felt angry.

 

“What the hell did that mean?” you spat.

 

“My child, ‘falling’ means that Papyrus would have eventually died.” Okay wow, but that didn’t answer my question.

 

“Okay, got that. But what does the term ‘falling’ actually entail?”

 

She looked down. “Falling, the general term for it, means his emotions failed him and he would eventually fall into what humans call a coma. Though for monsters, we never come out of it. Once you have 'Fallen Down', you die.”

 

…oh.

 

Sans had begun to cry. This time was different. He was silent, but he was not trembling. You had felt this before yourself, in another time. You slowly embraced him. He was limp against you, but did not return the motion.

 

From your position, you glanced at the computer screen and at the time.

 

1:24 A.M.

 

Sighing, you spoke up. “Toriel, I don’t think we should continue anymore tonight. Perhaps another time. I have Papyrus’ number, so I will keep in touch.”

 

She nodded and bid you farewell.

 

With one hand you closed down Skype and got up your music, and selected one song in particular that you liked to sing to calm yourself down. Maybe it would work for Sans.

 

 **~~{{Song insert:[Lullaby For a Soldier](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmucVmr60HQ) by Maggie Siff}}~~**

 

The song began, very light sounding, and you could feel Sans shift in response. You took a break and began to sing along.

 

“ _May your dreams bring you peace in the darkness. May you always rise over the rain. May the light from above always lead you to love. May you stay in the arms of the angels.”_

 

You started rubbing alone his spine.

 

“ _May you always be brave in the shadows. ‘Till the sun shines upon you again. Hear this prayer in my heart, and we’ll ne’er be apart. May you stay in the arms of the angels.”_

 

He backed away slowly, only to look at you in wonder, in awe. You smiled softly.

 

“ _May you hear every song in the forest, and if you ever lose your own away. Hear my voice like a breeze, whisper soft through the trees. May you stay in the arms of the angels.”_

He visibly relaxed and sighed in content, and you could see his magic spiraling in an unfamiliar way. Yet another thing to ask him about later. 

 

“ _May you grow up to stand as a man, Love. With the pride of your family and name. When you lay down your head, or to rest in your bed. May you stay in the arms of the angels.”_

 

The song tapered off, and started to repeat, though when the woman started to sing again, you did not.

 

Sans reached out for your hands, and you let him take them. He liked concentrating on something to keep his mind away from dark thoughts, he had said.

 

A small, but sad, smile played across his face. “You never told me you could sing.”

 

Embarrassment went through your mind. “I don’t usually, unless I feel like it’s appropriate.”

 

He shook his head, still inspecting your hands. “With a voice like that, it’s always appropriate.” He looked up and stared directly into your eyes for a moment. “Can you do it more often?”

 

Your eyes widened and your cheeks flushed, but you nodded. The smile on his face was the most genuine you had ever seen. You realized you absolutely loved it, and if singing got that to show again, you’d sing until the day you died.

 

You leaned forward to rest your forehead against his once again, and he did the same. You both breathed deeply, relaxing further. This day was such shit, but you were determined to show Sans that you’d be there, no matter what.

 

The small laugh escaped you before you could stop it, and caused Sans to back away and raise an eyebrow.

 

You waved a hand at him, and said, “It’s nothing. Just… Do you want to watch a movie or something?” One more thing went through your head as he nodded.

 

“Sure what mov-“

 

“One more thing.”

 

His eyebrow raised once again and cocked his head.

 

“Would you… wanna sleep in here?” His eyes widened considerably. You spoke quickly at that. “Just, my bed is big enough for us and I don’t think either of us kinda want to be alone and watching a movie in the living room while everyone is asleep will piss my dad off an-“ He cut you off with a skeletal hand placed over your mouth.

 

He was smiling. Oh how you loved that damn smile.

 

You quickly realized just how much you actually loved that smile and your face flushed bright crimson. _As if they weren't red enough!_ You hoped Sans would get the idea of it just being his hand on your mouth, but you were pretty sure he knew anyway.

 

The slight smirk, how his smile always dragged to the left side where that one black mark connected his eye socket and his mouth, the way his eyes would react, either soft or half-lidded, his body language when he lau-

 

“I’m fine with sleeping in here, if it’s cool with the parental units.”

 

Your thoughts were going crazy at this point.

 

“Yea, they should be fine with it.” You said simply, since your mind couldn’t decide what pitch to settle your voice at or how far down the gutter the impure thoughts went.

 

“Cool, so what movie?”

 

Thirty minutes later, you both decided you wanted to watch a comedy, so you picked out your favorite: Police Academy. The first one, cause no other could match up.

 

Sans cracked up when Larvell Jones, the sound effects guy, would make the weird noises.

 

By the time the movie was over, you both were wiped, and so decided it was time for sleep. You found him a pair of shorts and a large shirt to wear, which he took and left the room. You guessed he went to the bathroom to give you some space, so you got dressed quickly in a tank top and some mighty comfortable gym shorts. Thank god these ones went past the knees. Made them infinitely better for comfort and your self-esteem, since, you know, there was a guy gonna sleeping in your bed.

 

The thoughts came back full force, causing your face to heat and cheeks flush a deep crimson. You hadn’t realized that Sans had came in, and was watching you. You slapped your cheeks and groaned. Turning around finally, you jumped at the sight of Sans. Your hand flew to your chest, and you bent over, catching your breath.

 

“Can’t sneak up like that, holy shit.” You breathed.

 

He chuckled. “If I knew it was that easy to scare ya, I should have done it more often. You’re quite-”

 

“Sans, no.”

 

“A-door-able.” He chuckles at his horrible pun as he closes your bedroom door. It squeaked. 

 

You groan into your hands, trying to hide the flush of your cheeks at the same time.

 

“Anyway, c’mon.” You nod, turning off the lights and slowly getting into the bed. A silence followed, but it wasn’t comfortable, nor was it awkward.

 

You both kept yourself at a safe distance, but your mind knew that was futile, especially since you were so used to having the bed all for yourself.

 

“Hey, bone-boy.” You whispered.

 

“Hm?”

 

“Boundaries are stupid, and just gonna warn you, I don’t usually share the bed.” He got the hint and laughed as you both moved to close the space between you. Your head rested on his arm as he wrapped it around you. Question time holy fuck.

 

“How are you not…” The question hung in the air as you tried to find how to word it. “How are you not uncomfortable?”

 

“Why? I’m made of bones, so do you expect me to be sharp and pointy?” You glare into the darkness around him. He chuckles more before speaking.

 

“Science-y stuff, so here you go. My magic makes up my body, remember?” you nod. “So, not only does it hold my bones together, but also forms an invisible barrier that covers them, like your skin, only different, and made of magic.”

 

You laugh at yourself for the next thought.

 

“So you’re just like a warm milk-bag with bones?” He snorts and coughs a bit. Success.

 

“Never thought of it like that, but sure, I guess.” A moment of silence. “You’re not gonna call me a milk-bag now, are you?”

 

Now it was your turn to snort. “No! I mean, I might occasionally cause it sounds funny…”

 

A jab in your side made you squeal.

 

You looked up to him, quickly covering your mouth. You could see his eyelights were bigger than ever, and much brighter. Oh no.

 

“You can’t be…” You could literally hear the smile behind his words.

 

He jabs your side again to your despair, making you squeal once again. He makes an ‘ah-ha’ sound and continues poking you.

 

You giggle and writhe around in his grip, though he holds you tight. You’re glad he’s remaining on your sides and not on your lower back cause then you’d be in trou-

 

He poked your lower back.

 

You shiver and attempt even harder to get away. He holds you tighter.   


“Oh, so is this the sensitive part?” He starts grabbing and poking your lower back, causing your breathing to quicken and squeals to escape freely. It tickled so much, you couldn’t breathe. Finally, an elbow to his ribcage freed you to sit up and gasp for air.

 

He was lying on his back, laughing his ass off. Your face was flushed from the tickle attack and you could feel it flare yet again. You fell back and nuzzled your face into his side, grumbling. His laughs softened and he finally relented.

 

Eventually you fell asleep in each others’ embrace.


	11. Time to Ketchup

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this nearly a filler. Nearly. I might do a double upload if I can write chapter 14. I like having two or three more chapters written before posting, and thank the Gods for motivation. 
> 
> I'd like to thank my readers for sticking with me so far :) You guys mean a lot to me. Every Kudos, comment, bookmark, whatever, means a lot to me. I love you guys <3
> 
> ~LadyP

Upon waking up, you find that it’s incredibly hard to move. You attempt to shimmy and turn over, to no avail. Irritated, both from sleep and being unable to move your aching body, you open your eyes to see what’s constricting you.

 

Sans. Oh, right.

 

You had fallen asleep together. In your bed.

 

Your mind was screaming, and your face was on fire. In silence, you leaned up slightly to get a better look at his sleep face. He looked… serene. He had mentioned nightmares a long time ago, but he never elaborated on them. The face he had now completely contradicted him. He looked so peaceful in sleep. His face was relaxed, his breathing deep and even, his mouth open every so slightly but his teeth locked.

 

You giggled to yourself when you saw he was drooling a bit.

 

The slight rumble through your body must have woken him because he grumbled and stirred, but kept his eyes closed.

 

“Sans, I need to get up.” Mother nature calls, and damn does she call.

 

He grumbled more and held you tighter, actually somehow curling himself around you. You were getting desperate. Something on him was pressing against your bladder, and you hoped it was just a part of his leg.

 

“Sans. Please, I need to get up.”

 

More grumbling.

 

Alright, fuck it.

 

With a grunt, you peeled him off you and let him teeter on the edge of the bed.

 

“If you don’t wake up and release me, I’m pushing you off.”

 

A sleepy chuckle came from him. “I’d drag you with me.”

 

“If you want me to pee on you, then I suggest you let me go.” He promptly released you and started to sit up to waken as you ran to the bathroom and relieved yourself. You had no idea what time it was, but there was no smell of food cooking or coffee, so you supposed it was midday.

 

Once back in your room, Sans was laying back down, snoring. With a sigh, you grabbed your phone and called Jackson. The issues that happened yesterday, in their entirety, were weighing heavily on you. More so for Sans, you assumed, and so you were going to call in a sick day.

 

“Jackson.” You found it odd he always answered his office phone that way.

 

“Hey, it’s Zen.”

 

“Oh, hey. How’s Sans?”

 

“Not so good, I’m afraid. Have you got people to cover our shifts? He’s staying here at my place and more things occurred after we left, so he’s not exactly ready to go back, and I’m not either.”

 

“Care to explain the ‘after we left’ part?”

 

“The guys that came in to the store were my ex and his buddies. They harassed Sans and me outside the store when we were getting in my car…” You paused, unsure of what to say. “When we got home, we contacted Sans’ family. A lot of emotional abuse bullshit, Jackson.”

 

“Yea, I get that. I’ll try and find someone for you, but I’ll give Sans the week off. If I can’t find anyone for you, I’ll need you to come in.”

 

You sighed. Hopefully Destiny would be able to cover for a few days, at least. “Can you see if Destiny will cover for just a few days? I know she will, unless she’s got something going on. Not sure the others are as nice.”

 

“Yea, of course. Take care, Zen. See to it that Sans feels better.”

 

“You know I will. See ya.” You hung up and felt a tug on your shirt. Sans was awake, well, kinda, and had an eyebrow raised.

 

“Jackson gave you the week off. If he can’t find someone to cover my shifts I have to go in. You’ll stay here, okay.” He nodded instantly. Looking back to your phone, you glanced at the time.

 

1:48 P.M.

 

Oh damn.

 

You looked at Sans again. “Wanna give them another call?”

 

He looked away. You knew he did, but the bullshit that Toriel put him through last night pissed you off and sent him onto the fine line between okay and depression. He looked exhausted. The black circles under his eyes were huge, his eyebrows were furrowed no matter what facial expression he seemed to make, and his eyelights were dim.

 

“I do, but…” He smiled. “If Tori is there, you’ll do the talking.”

 

You gave him a look, which said ‘why’.

 

He sighed and pursed his lips (lip-bones?). “Tori is the person I hold the highest respect for. The fact that she’s angry with me shut me down. I understand why, but… She’s the mother figure to everyone else. To me, she’s my best friend.” He looked straight into your eyes. “What would you do if your best friend was not only angry, but furious, and disappointed?”

 

Disappointed. You hated that word. Hated it just about as much as racial slurs and demeaning words targeting those with disabilities.

 

“I lost a best friend a long time ago because we were disappointed in each other.” You said, a tinge of sadness brimming your voice.

 

His eyes widened slightly, probably as much as they could with how tired he seemed.

 

“I know what it’s like Sans, but even though Toriel didn’t make a great impression on me, I don’t think she’s capable of holding grudges. She’ll forgive you, even if she said she couldn’t. If you really are her best friend, then listen to her, and talk to her.” You looked away with a mischevious grin. “Doesn’t mean that if she gets snotty I won’t intervene.” He laughed lightly.

 

“Alright. Today I only want to talk to her, Pap, and Frisk. That’s it.” You nodded in understanding and got your laptop out. You saw that Undyne’s Skype was on, and hit the regular call button. It rang a few times before it was finally answered and video feed appeared on screen.

 

Frisk. She looked confused, and went to type.

 

UNDYNE: Hey, you there?

 

You laughed and she jumped. “Yea, Frisk, I’m here, just didn’t want to turn on the video until I saw who I wanted to speak to.” She nodded but you wanted to clear things up. “Look, Frisk, is anyone at the house other than you, Toriel, and Papyrus?”

 

She nodded.

 

UNDYNE: Undyne and Alphys are here, though I think they’re busy with something.

 

“Okay well can you move to a more private area so we can talk with you and the others alone? Not right now though, just you.”

 

She picked up the laptop and you could watch her move through a dark room, maybe a hallway. A door opened and closed and you heard a flop on fabric when she messaged once again.

 

UNDYNE: I’m in my room.

 

You turned on the video chat and Frisk’s eyes lit up, her lips turning into a smile. You muted the video for a second so you could ask Sans a question.   


“You want to be alone?” He shook his head.

 

You unmuted and placed the laptop in a way where you could see the screen, kinda, but the camera was focused on Sans.

 

“Hey, Kiddo.”

 

~~\|||/~~

 

About an hour passed while you remained silent, just listening to Sans talk to Frisk. It was light conversation, and whatever they didn’t want you to hear, they typed. You didn’t mind. Everyone was allowed their secrets.

 

“Hey, kid. We been talkin’ for some time now. S’your mom or Pappy ‘round?”

 

A little shuffle of noise from the laptop, and you assumed Frisk went to check.

 

Glancing at Sans, he was laying on his side, looking at nothing. He wasn’t relaxed, by any means, and even the air seemed heavy. You resigned to asking him later, when they weren’t talking to distant relatives. More shuffles and light voices, and you knew that Toriel was in Frisk’s room. Sans’ eyes flicked to the screen, and his face was blank. You looked up at the ceiling.

 

Louder shuffling could be heard.

 

“Sans.” Toriel’s voice came through loud and clear. She was much calmer than yesterday, but her voice still had an edge.

 

“Tori.” He greeted her with just as much tension as the room had.

 

Silence filled the room for a few minutes.

 

“Sans, I apologize but I do not have the luxury of time today. What is it you would like to talk about?”

 

He audibly gritted his teeth, and sighed. He sat up, pushed the laptop back, and his left hand went up to the back of his head. He looked, for lack of a better word, uncomfortable.

 

“Tori, look. I’m sorry. I don’t know how many times I have to say it for you to finally believe it.”

 

You raised an eyebrow at him in surprise.

“It’s hard enough talking to you guys as it is without you giving me the cold-shoulder treatment you do when someone disappoints you. So I’m gonna say this. Say what you want to me. Get it all out.” You notice he can’t even look at the screen.

 

“Say it. Otherwise, get Pap.” He spoke with such authority that were slightly impressed, but were more or less concerned.

 

Toriel let a small sigh escape her. “Sans. Of all things you believe I think of you, disappointment was never one of them.”

 

Sans’ eyes immediately flicked to the screen, his brow furrowed in confusion and anger.

 

“Then what is it?”

 

“It is concern, Sans. I am angry. I am sad. I am furious. I am relieved. Most of all, I am concerned. I thought about our conversation yesterday and had talks with the others that you both spoke to. You said the same thing to them, but Alphys revealed one more thing. She may have mentioned the term ‘Dust Fusion’.”

 

You gulped as the tension in the air increased to uncomfortable levels. You look at Sans worriedly and his left eye is glowing yellow ever so slightly. He was beyond angry at this point. He huffs a laugh that ends up more of a scoff. “Of course. Of course she would. Get a little angry with Alphys and she reveals everything.”

 

Okay, that was uncalled for. It was just straight up venom spitting out his mouth now.

 

“Do not be angry with Alphys. Yes, I pressured her into telling me. As I said, Sans, I am concerned. If your dust indeed fused with Gaster’s, then is there a chance you have inherited some of his emotions or thoughts as well?”

 

At that, Sans was silent. The magic immediately dissipated and he looked down in what you called his Einstein pose. He was in such deep thought that you weren’t going to interrupt. The gears were turning, once again, and science-y things were being grinded.

 

“If so…” He spoke, just a bit above a whisper. “Then could I have recovered some of his memories? What have I actually gotten from this?” He laughs a bit louder than usual, making you flinch.

 

“Oh man, if I really did get his attitude no wonder I’ve been interpreting everything wrong.” He finally looked your way just in time to see the confusion on your face.

 

“Oh. Uh… My dad wasn’t exactly the most… emotionally invested monster. He preferred equations and results rather than bonding. That would explain a lot, honestly.”

 

Toriel giggled. You and Sans both looked at the screen to see her attempting to cover the giggle with a large paw. Her giggle was melodic, and eased Sans very quickly from his stupor. He grinned and hunched a bit, seemingly embarrassed, as his blush showed every so slightly.

 

You smirked. “Aw, Sansy, is she getting your goat?”

 

He slowly turned to you, eyes wide and blush deepening as you heard a light gasp from the laptop. You returned his shit-eating grin he usually gives when he recites puns. Back at ya, bitch.

 

Toriel erupts in a fit of giggles, shocking Sans so bad he jumps. You grab the laptop and, as you shimmy yourself across the bed to be next to Sans, turn it so that you both are in the screen.

 

Toriel’s giggles evolve into snorts and gasps. The first snort she gave off made both you and Sans laugh.

 

Finally relaxed enough to talk, Toriel clears her throat and rights herself before speaking. When she finally looks to the screen, her expression is soft, with a small but genuine smile. This must be the Toriel that Sans knows, because he completely relaxes.

 

“My child, I thank you. Sans and I have an… unusual friendship that involves us sharing puns. It has been so long.” Her smile grows sly. “Sans, I am glad you picked someone who enjoys puns. You are certainly not bonely without me.”

 

You catch the pun, as does Sans. He doesn’t laugh, but he still smiles. “It’s been too long, Tori.”

 

“That it has, Sans. I say again that I am glad you and Zenyth are such great… friends.” You quickly catch the pause, and flush. How the fuck can she know through a video call. Your mind begins to squeak in distress and embarrassment.

 

You risk glancing at Sans, only to see his smile is nervous and his blush is back, full-fucking-force. Wait why the fuck is he blushing.

 

More giggles erupt from the laptop. Sans looks away, attempting but failing to hide his blush.

 

You are about to ask about Papyrus when you hear the door slam open on Toriel’s end. She looks up in surprise. “Oh! Would you like to talk now?”

 

“YES. IT IS ALSO TIME FOR YOU TO LEAVE, YOUR MAJESTY.”

 

She nods and looks back to the screen, giving the most sly fucking grin. “I hope we can continue this little… chat later. For now, I must leave.” She gets up, and Papyrus takes up her place. He’s smiling like a mad person, and you can’t help but feel relieved at his sudden presence. He doesn’t realize he just saved you and Sans both from torture.

 

“SANS!” He practically screams the name, making both of you twitch.

 

“Heh, hey bro.” He seems to have calmed down a bit because he’s looking at the screen again. His grin returns and his eyebrow raises. “Did you, by chance, have coffee?”

 

“I COULD NOT SLEEP LAST NIGHT. I HAD FOUR CUPS THIS MORNING, AND TWO BEFORE I CAME IN HERE. YOU NEVER LET ME HAVE COFFEE BEFORE, AND I FAIL TO SEE WHY. IT IS SO EXHILIRATING. I FEEL LIKE I COULD RUN FOREVER.”

 

You can’t help but giggle. Coffee never effected you like that, as your body couldn’t exactly tell the difference in decaf and regular, except for the taste. Either way, you always had regular and the only effect it ever had on you was getting rid of headaches sometimes. Speaking of which, you realized a dull pain had started behind your left eye. Fuck me.

 

You scooted off the bed and stood up. You made your way to the door, petting Sushi before leaving. As you opened the door, you turned and said, “I’m just getting some medication. I’ll be back.” He nodded and turned back to the screen.

 

Heading downstairs, you aim for the kitchen. Reaching for the medicine cabinet, you look for your headache medication, only to not see it anywhere. Your phone clutched in your hand, you call your mother.

 

She informs you that she has them in her purse but is at work. Her work is an hour away so it won’t matter if you go or not. You grab your special container of coffee, which happens to me a dark roast blend. You needed it strong if you were gonna deal with a headache. While it brewed, you went to the bathroom to brush your hair and teeth, and relieve yourself once more. You look at yourself in the mirror to find your face is still red, despite no longer blushing.

 

You head back downstairs yet again and fish around until you find the thermometer. Putting it under your tongue, you grab a coffee cup and fill it with two scoops of sugar. You rummage around in the fridge to see if there’s any creamer, but find none. Milk will do, but you look for honey, just in case.

 

Oh thank god.

 

You find the honey and put it aside, waiting for the coffee to finish brewing. A few moments later and the thermometer beeps. You take it out of your mouth and view the temperature.

 

100.4 F

 

I’m running a fucking fever. I never run a fever.

 

You turn on the kitchen sink and let the water run until it’s hot, and wash the thermometer before putting it away. No headache medication, plus a fever, was not going to bode well. You silently hoped that Jackson could find someone for the next few days, cause it looked like you wouldn’t be able to come in anyway.

 

Coffee done, your cup of honey-coffee made, you start heading back to your room. You’re unsure of how much time has passed, but once in your room, Sans is sitting back, petting Sushi, and watching something. He looks up at you as you approach your side of the bed and promptly sit down at the end, sipping at your coffee.

 

“What medication were you getting?”

 

“It was for my headaches. Ends up mom has them so I can’t take them, so I made coffee instead…”

 

He tilts his head a bit. “You don’t look so well.”

 

You nod. “Yea, and I’m somehow running a fever.” He perks up at that. A wild question appears…

 

“Do, uh… Do monsters catch human stuff? If I’m getting a fever I don’t want you sick.” He shakes his head, to your relief. “Good, cause now that I’m sick I’m gonna feel like I’m gonna die, I bet you. I’m usually pretty healthy and almost never have fevers.”

 

“Uh…” He’s sitting cross-legged now, hands between his legs, and he’s looking at you with his head lowered. “What exactly is a fever?”

 

…pfft. Okay.

 

“Uh, a fever is where our bodies suddenly get a higher temperature than normal. Humans normally run about 98.6 degrees but I’m running about 100. It’s not so bad, but if I get to 102 or 103 I’ll need to go to the hospital.”

 

“Why’s that?”

 

“It can injure our brain. Too high of a fever for too long and fry it.”

 

His face contorts to fear. You wave a hand at him. “I’ll keep an eye on my temperature, don’t worry. It’s not too bad until it hits about 104 or 105. I’ve never gotten higher than 102 in my life.”

 

You frown. “It’s gonna make this headache a ton worse, though.”

 

“How bad are your headaches, normally?”

 

You shrug. “Usually I just power through them. There’s only one medication that works cause I’ve developed an immunity to everything else. If I don’t have those meds, then coffee helps, kinda. This one started in my left eye so it’s gonna be bad. With me having a fever, it’s gonna get worse, but I’m not sure just how much.”

 

He nods, not quite accepting the answer but he understands.

 

You both resort to watching movies all day. Sushi cuddles with you, confirming you are indeed sick. Your mother comes home around 7 P.M. that afternoon and has you take two of your pills. You mention the fever and she retrieves the thermometer.

 

101.2 F

 

Your temperate is raising, which isn’t good, but you’re not worried. Jackson will have to kiss your ass. Sans suggested taking your shift and you gave him your death glare. He shut up immediately and click his jaw shut.

 

You and him cuddled against each other for most of the night, save for when he got up to get something for both of you, like a drink or food. Through the night you continue to writhe. Your headache was getting worse with the fever, and you were starting to shiver. Your hands were clamming, your forehead was dripping, and your bedding felt like sandpaper. Nothing you did comforted you, and even Sans presence was beginning to irritate you. Fucking boney ass. Why does he have to be sharp?

 

You’re not sure when you fell asleep, but you were being jostled awake by a boney hand. “What.” You whined. The headache was still there even after you awoke. Those were the worst.

 

“C’mon, Zen. We’re taking you to the hospital.” The deep voice was actually kind of soothing. You wanted to hear more.

 

“But why?” You whined again. The voice laughed.

 

“You’re kind of a-door-able when you whine. But seriously, c’mon, you’re not doing well.”

 

Sighing loudly, you gave up and held out your hands to the voice. Boney hands grabbed them and pulled you towards the main body. Comfy.

 

You hugged the voice tightly as they attempted to walk. He was laughing, and the rumble through his chest made you giggle. You heard a softer voice from elsewhere and the deeper voice responded. You grumbled at him to be quiet and he only laughed. Finally opening your eyes, Sans was dressed in his normal clothing, which was the black hoodie and jeans. He still had the nightshirt on, so his musk… wait, he has a smell? He was comfy so you took a totally inconspicuous deep breath. He smelled of old books, pine trees, and ketchup.

 

You could do without the ridiculous smell of spicy tomatoes.

 

Thank whatever was above that a fever was ravaging you because the blush you could feel might have very well induced the fever.

 

 

 

 

You were so out of it that Sans was actually a bit worried. While you were resting, he looked up information about fevers. It mentioned the word ‘delirium’ and was beginning to wonder if that’s what was going on with you. You were being whiney, you were giggling like crazy, and you breathed in a deep breath, which Sans could only guess was of him. He blushed a bit at that but wasn’t sure if that was you or the delirium causing you to act that way.

 

Lilian was yelling from the front door, and Sans took that as his cue to… well, to attempt to move you. You were so out of it that you were like jelly; just kind of going wherever the wind moved you.

 

He finally managed to reach the stairs with you, and you let him go to calmly walk down the stairs and towards your mother, where you ran into her and went limp. Lilian laughed and pulled you out the door.

 

 

 

 


	12. a b a d t i m e

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for slight violence in this chapter. 
> 
> I would have had this chapter out several hours ago if I didn't get to reading other fanfictions on here and distracting myself... 
> 
> Also, to my readers: I believe I am developing a problem with cliffhangers, since this Ch and the next two I have written all end in cliffhangers. I apologize and shall work on that. Kinda. Not really. 
> 
> ~LadyP

You had been admitted into the hospital and were relaxing in a room, an IV attached giving you fluids. Somehow you were dehydrated although you had drank plenty of water and tea. Sans cringed when they had to get three different needles, seeing as they kept missing your veins, and one actually rolled out of the way. That had interested him enough to ask.

 

Sans hadn’t actually been in a human hospital before today, and it ended up being a little unsettling for him. The white walls, the polished floors, the smell of bleach and sterile equipment, it was like something out of a horror movie (heh.).

 

Lilian did almost all of the talking, with Sans adding a bit so the doctor’s could determine what was wrong with you. For twelve hours you all sat in the hospital room with an IV shoved in your arm. Sans and your mother had left to get freshened up and some items to keep you entertained.

 

You were occupied with your phone, messaging Xavier and your friends while Sans was on the computer with headphones on. You could hear him typing but weren’t sure what of.

 

You turned away from him and put on music to relax to. You were exhausted, but so much so that you couldn’t sleep. You hated hospital beds, as they were hard and had a significant lack of pillows. You usually had a minimum of six at home, and here you were, stuck with one. The room was cold, so your mother constantly asked for heated blankets.

 

An hour passed of listening to random music when your mother had to leave for work. You were instructed to call your father to pick you up when they released you, since your fever had calmed back down to 99 F. The doctor only came in a few times and just to relay that your fever was caused by a virus, so concluded you were just sick. You mentioned that you’ve never had a fever that high, and were instructed to relay medical history including medications and any diseases.

 

You relayed as many medications as you could off the top of your head, and were given some antibiotics.

 

Unfortunately, due to the state of your health, you weren’t allowed to leave the hospital until your vitals checked out. You continued listening to music but were turned to face Sans. You noticed he was typing quite frequently, so you assumed he was on Skype with one of his friends. He looked frustrated, and you were beginning to think on how many ways you could chew Toriel’s head off, if that was indeed her.

 

~~\|||/~~

 

You were cleared to go home that night, around 8 P.M.

 

You were thankful. It meant you could finally go home to the comfort of your bed, cuddled next to Sushi, with movies and soup. Sans said he’d stay a few more days until you got better, but was restless and wanted to work.

 

The next day you woke up to a phone call from Jackson. Groaning, you answered it. “Hey, Jackson.”

 

You felt a shuffle next to you and knew Sans had woken up.

 

“Hey, Zen. Need you to come in today. We’re short handed.” Damn it all.

 

“I can’t. I would have been fine to come in a few days ago but now I’m stuck at home with a fever. Got a doctor’s note if you need proof.” A sigh sounded from Jackson, his tell that he was frustrated.

 

“Zen, I’ve got nobody else coming in.”

 

“Hey.” You turned around to see Sans reaching for your phone. You looked at him in confusion, to which he shrugged.

 

“Hey Jackson, it’s Sans. If you need someone to come in, I can.”

 

“Oh, hey Sans. You sure? You’ve still got a couple of days.”

 

“Yea, I’m good. What’re the hours?”

 

“You’ll be working ten to ten, I’m afraid.”

 

“That’s fine.” He said, looking to the phone and checking the time. It was 9:45 A.M.

 

“I’ll be there as soon as I can.” A few more nods and he hung up.

 

You frowned at him. He smirked at you.

 

“How much are you going to be working today?” You asked.

 

“I’ll be working a 12-hour shift. I don’t mind if it means you get to rest.” He started to get up but you gripped his wrist. Looking to your face, he saw worry and guilt. He couldn’t help but chuckle and softly smile.

 

“Zen, you’re sick. You need to rest. I’m more than capable of working right no-“

 

“That’s not it.” You stated.

 

“I don’t know if I’ll be okay to pick you up, let alone take you. My parents and cousin are at work, and Marcus is at school. If you get in trouble you make sure to call someone, anyone.” You said, or technically demanded.

 

He could only nod. With that, he got up to get ready for work. You continued to sit in bed and soon curiosity got the best of you. “Hey Sans?”

 

“Yea?” He called out from somewhere in the house.

 

“Were you talking to someone while we were at the hospital?” You inquired.

 

A bit of silence and then, “I was talking with Frisk. Ketchup-ing up with her.”

 

“Are you really that deprived of ketchup?”

 

“… Well after Lilian practically ripped my hand off when she saw me drinking it, I haven’t touched it again, so…” You laughed, and he walked back into your room with his work clothes on, glaring at you. You laughed a bit harder, seeing that his glare was quite possibly the best glare face you’d ever seen.

 

“Your face-“ snort “makes a-“ squeak “perfect line!” You gasped out. The tops of his eyes made a perfectly straight line, which made his glare nearly perfect. His glare got deeper, which accentuated the dark circles, his lips turning into a sneer.

 

You were snort laughing so hard that it was hurting your throat and increasing your headache, but you could care less. His face was priceless right now. He grumbled something and walked out of the room.

 

“Noooo!” You groaned and followed him, although quite lazily and you realized the world was shaking. You stopped at the top of the stairs, refusing to give into the vertigo that threatened to trip you.

 

Sans had finally noticed that you slightly followed him. He glanced towards you as he walked to the door. A small smile and chuckle escaped him, and his right hand went to the back of his head.

 

“Well, I gotta go.” He pointed at you. “Go back to bed. I’ll keep in touch as often as I can.” You nodded. He waved and headed out.

 

* * *

 

 

Sans was walking to his home. He would be going to work but he was gonna stop by his place and get his keys, a few other things, and his bike. He made a promise to stay with you for a few days, not just for him anymore, but for you. He smirked. It seemed you were quite needy and absolutely adorable when you were sick. Hell, when he was around you he couldn’t think of any of the good puns, as he used most of them with Xavier. Sure, he used the door one a few times, but it was easy.

 

He frowned and furrowed his brow. As he thought back, he couldn’t figure a way to thank you enough. The suggestion you made scared the absolute shit out of him when it first came up, but as soon as he heard Papyrus, he was so glad you called him. Then out of pure genius, you had suggested a video call. He could actually see Papyrus. He could see him wearing his… his old hoodie. He saw his old friends, his family.

 

Tori.

 

He laughed to himself. She was furious with him, even more so than she had ever been, even with Flowey. He had never seen her fire consume her entire form like that, which was slightly amusing. Then you had to actually get pissed off enough to berate Tori. You yelled at her! He snickered. Oh how he loved that. The fact that you knew who Tori was but still yelled at her was great.

 

A sudden thought tore his thoughts apart. He realized that he had neglected to think about his best friend. He hadn’t even thought about him! How would Grillby react to seeing him? An even darker thought pervaded then. How did he react to the news? Was he… at the funeral?

 

A loud screech sounded from the street to his right, which caused him to jerk out of your thoughts and look up to see what had happened. Oh. He realized he had stepped in the way of a vehicle that was backing out of a driveway. Oops. He waved and apologized. Turning around, he saw his house a block away.

 

“Stupid monster fuck! Fucking die if you’re gonna be a dumbass!” A voice sounded from behind him. He turned around, straight-faced, to see the guy hanging out the window of his vehicle. “Yea, you! Go back to where you fuckin’ came from, stupid ass monster!”

 

Sans laughed at the guy, which only pissed him off. “The fuck you laughing at, bitch?”

 

A dangerous grin flitted across Sans’ face and his eye started to glow. “Laughing at the fuckboy in front of me. Unfortunately for said fuckboy, his target doesn’t give a fuck what he thinks.” He laughs loud so that the guy can get the full effect. “I’ll be on my way now.”

 

The guy yelled something again, but Sans chose to ignore it.

 

He finally reached his house, only to find the windows broken and his bike… Well, he wouldn’t be able to drive it anymore. He bounded up to the door only to find the lock had been smashed. Upon entry, his entire place was trashed. Red writing was on the wall, saying shit like “Monster-Cunt” or “Monsters Deserve to Die”. Sans scoffed at the damage. He got out his phone and began to take pictures, eventually going back outside to take pictures of the front of his house and his bike.

 

Going back inside, he went to his room, finding more damage. Worry worked through him as he sifted through the mess, trying to find the one thing he hoped remained undamaged. Unfortunately, humans can be real assholes. The group picture that was taken of himself and the rest of his family and friends was torn and burned. He flipped it over, finding a well written note.

 

“Suggest you move out of town before more comes of this. You and that stupid cunt of yours. She didn’t deserve it but now that we know she fucks you guys, she deserves the same as you. Want her safe?

 

Leave or die.”

 

You took a picture of the note, folded the picture, and stuffed it in your pocket. You’d show it to Zen later, and the authorities, if they even believed you. Damn this town, damn those guys, damn everything.

 

He sighed. He still had work.

 

On the way out he called his landlord and told him of the issue, which resulted in the authorities called to investigate. They’d visit him at work, so he informed Jackson of the issue as well.

 

On his break, he called you.

 

“H-Hello?” Your voice cracked.

 

“Hey Zen. Uh, have you gotten anything to eat or drink?”

 

“No, I just woke up.”

 

“Oh, well, uh, I’ve got some news.”

 

“Oh?” You were much more awake at that.

 

“Yea. Looks like I’ll be living with you guys for a bit longer.”

 

“I’m assuming that’s not the ‘news’ you mentioned.” Damn you.

 

“Yea, uh… They trashed my place. Vandalized it. Totaled my bike.” He heard you gasp.

 

“Those motherfuckers.” You spoke with such venom, even though your voice was thick with sickness.

 

“I called my landlord and he called the authorities. They should be calling me soon-ish or visiting.”

 

“Good. Let me know if you need a ride. If I’m the only one home I’ll drive you.”

 

He agreed, though he wouldn’t call you. He didn’t want you getting out of bed.

 

“Anyway, uh, I do have something to talk to you… about.” Your hesitation confused and concerned Sans a bit, but he let it go.

 

“Okay, we can talk when I get home. Only five more hours to go.” His phone started vibrating, so he checked to see what was up to find a number calling him. “Hey, I’m getting another call. I’ll call you later.”

 

“Okay, later.” Click.

 

He answered the other phone call with a quick, “Hello?”

 

“Did you enjoy the present?”

 

~~\|||/~~

 

Sans was significantly more pissed than he’s ever been. One of the guys called him and harassed him, mentioning things about his family and making idle threats. The police officers came shortly after the phone call was started and after he was done, had informed them of everything. They seemed rather accepting of him so that was a plus.

 

His shift was over and his chores were done, so he left work. He didn’t call you, though he figured it probably would have been smart. He passed his house but did not stop. A few cars passed by, but he noticed one had sped up and turned towards him.

 

He barely stepped out of the way in time for the large SUV to come barreling onto the sidewalk, to return to the street and stop. Four figures got out of the car, all brandishing melee weapons. He could see two bats, a crowbar, and a machete. He could easily throw them all away, but he hated resorting to his magic, especially now since the officers had said that magic use was prohibited. He couldn’t really defend himself, so he turned and ran, only to find out another car had stopped and pinned him between eight men.

 

His eyes widened when he noticed one of them had a gun.

 

“Think you’d just take her with ya, huh?” Cody. Cody had the motherfucking gun.

 

“If it’d get her away from you, absolutely.” Sans spat.

 

They all laughed.

 

“See, here’s the thing. We don’t like monsters. You involved a human and their family with your filth. So we’re just gonna remove the problem, mk?”

 

Sans cackled, his face turning dark and his powers activating. “That’s cute, coming from a guy like you. You’ve got a pretty high LV, kid.”

 

Sans took notice of the entire groups LV’s and Souls. Nearly all of them had a LOVE of about three to about seven, the highest belonging to Cody. The Souls, though, told him all he needed to know. Clouded, dark, hazy, chained, broken… all tells of violence, both given and received. There wouldn’t really be a way to make it out of here in one piece, unless…

 

He didn’t even think of that. He hadn’t used his shortcuts in such a long time he had forgotten what a crutch that could be. He smiled despite his current position.

 

Cody seemed to be confused, which only pissed him off. “More monster bullshit, used to tell good humans from the bad. I’ve heard that shit so much. I can’t believe others are so stupid to believe that. You really think you can see our Souls? You think I’d believe you if you could?”

 

Sans’ powers crept around the group, intensifying the airs’ heaviness and the fear within them. He wouldn’t need to interfere, just show them they were going to have a bad time.

 

Sans’ smile grew even more dangerous than before, baring his fangs. His eyes darkened so that his pupils disappeared. He lifted his head and cocked it to the side.

 

“I suggest you reconsider your approach, kids, unless y o u w a n n a h a v e a b a d t i m e .” Sans let his voice deepen considerably, gaining a guttural and animalistic growl to it. One of his Blasters was calling to him, but he refused it. He didn’t know how it would act in his current state.

 

His little plan worked, as they all got into their vehicles and sped off, but not before Cody fired off a single shot.

 

Pain coursed through his side immediately. He was hit, but since it didn’t hit his soul, he didn’t turn to dust. He brought up his stats.

 

HP: 0.23

 

Oh fuck.

 

He was going to pass out soon. He could feel his power waning.

 

In one last ditch effort, you thought of Zen’s room and took a shortcut.

 

* * *

 

 

You were midway through an episode of Soul Eater when you heard a thud. Confused, you paused your episode and looked around the dark room. You couldn’t see anything so you brought out your phone and turned on the flashlight.

 

You looked to the left side of the bed, finding nothing. Looking to the right…

 

Your eyes widened in horror. Sans had somehow gotten in here and was laying face down. Yellow liquid seeped from his side.

 

You sprang up and started to turn him over, finding that he was passed out. His jacket was ruined, stained with the yellow liquid and a single hole. You unzipped his hoodie and lifted his shirt to find one of his ribs had cracked and broke, simply hanging there, which you could only assume was due to his magic.

 

You were starting to freak out. The yellow liquid was seeping from the bone, which you soon realized was blood.

 

You ran out of the room to find your parents. You simply told them that Sans was hurt and your mother came running. At the sight of him, you all gathered up what you needed and took him to the hospital.

 

A few hours later and the doctor’s said they could do nothing but watch over him, since none of them had been trained in Monster Anatomy. The only doctors that were trained in that were in Washington. As your mother continued to argue with the doctors, you got your laptop out and quickly messaged Undyne’s Skype.

 

_YOU: UNDYNE? SOMONE? PLEASE CALL ME IMMEDIATELY I NEED HELP!_

 

Not even thirty seconds later you received a call, finding Alphys on the other end of the camera.

 

“Alphys! Oh thank god.” You were so glad it was her. Sans had told you she was the former Royal Scientist and was the expert in Monster Anatomy.

 

“O-oh! Zenyth, h-hello. You said y-you needed help?”

 

“Yes, we have Sans at the hospital and I don’t know how to help him! The doctors here can’t do anything!” You were starting to cry. You could feel the tears threatening to spill over.

 

Alphys’ face got serious. “What happened?”

 

“I-I don’t know! I heard a thud in my room and looked around and there he was! He was supposed to call me when he got off work, but he never did!”

 

“He took one of his ‘shortcuts’, but I’ll let him explain it later. Is he okay? What’s his HP? Are any bones broken?”

 

HP? What? “What’s this about HP? Is that a real thing?”

 

She nodded. “It is, but if his falls below a certain level he could pass out or…”

 

You knew what she meant. Still, HP? Really?

 

“Uh, as far as bones, I noticed one of his ribs is broken and just… hanging there.”

 

She seemed extremely worried at this. “I think I should get Toriel. Wait here so that I can find her.” With that, she left.

 

As you waited for her to return, you continued to panic. You told him to call you! Why didn’t he? What happened? You were beginning to hyperventilate. Forcing yourself to calm down, you looked towards your mother, who was heading towards you with some police officers.

 

“Zen, these officers have some… questions… for him and you.” You nodded and she went across the area to sit in a chair.

 

“Your name is Zen?” You nodded.

 

“Okay then. Zen, I’m afraid we need to ask you some questions about your… friend, here. We got some reports of magic that was used, and were wondering if you knew anything about it.”

 

You were confused, and incredibly angry. They were concerned he used magic and yet he was lying here, in the hospital, unconscious, with… broken bones. What the actual fuck.

 

Someone appeared on screen and you muted your computer instantly, holding up one finger. You didn’t mute your end of Skype, just the computer so the officers couldn’t hear. You wanted Toriel and Alphys to hear this bullshit.

 

“No, I don’t. But if he did, I’m pretty sure it was in self-defense.” You stated, glaring at the two officers.

 

The one that had been talking shook his head. “I’m afraid that doesn’t matter. If he used magic, he will be in trouble with the law. We’ll have to take him in, possibly send him back to Washington.”

 

You were beyond pissed off. You were infuriated.

 

“You’ve got to be kidding me. You guys are new to me, so I guess you don’t know that a Monster Hater gang that’s around here has targeted us. They were going to beat the shit out of him while he was working. They vandalized and destroyed his house, totaled his motorcycle… He’s been living with us because we don’t want him alone with them around!”

 

The officers seemed stunned at this information. Good, you thought.

 

Sans stirred a bit, and his eyes opened. You locked eyes. His were half-lidded, his eyelights dim and unsteady. You smiled sadly. “Hey…”

 

He hummed a response and drifted his eyes to the two officers. “Whaz goin’ on?” He slurred.

 

The officers looked uncomfortable at his question. As they should be.

 

“These two officers came to see if you used magic. Said they were going to send you back to Washington, even if it was used in self-defense.”

 

Sans’ eyes widened slightly. “I got ganged up on.” His speech was slow and slurred, but understandable. “Eight guys. One had a gun. Yea, I used magic, but it was only to scare them away. I didn’t hurt n’body. They got in the cars and the guy with the gun shot me as they sped off.”

 

The officers wrote down his account. “Do you perhaps know the names of any of the assailants?”

 

You nodded. “Yea, the leader’s name is Cody. Cody Johnson.”

 

A few more questions later, and they left. You sighed and unmuted the computer. Voices filled the air, and as you looked towards the screen, you notice that Toriel is sitting in the chair, tears in her eyes, and Alphys, Undyne, Papyrus, Frisk, and two other monsters were there that you didn’t recognize.

 

“Hey guys.” You said.

 

Each and every one of them looked to the camera. You could read all but one of the monsters’ expressions, and they all held expressions of worry, extreme sadness, and unrestrained anger. One of the monsters was a much larger goat-monster, who looked like they could crush your head with one of his giant paws. The other monster was made of fire, and if fire could show emotions, this fire was beyond pissed.

 

Toriel spoke up then, breaking the tension in the air.

 

“My child, I believe it is time for you to relocate.”


	13. A Light in the Dark

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *exaggerated winking face* 
> 
> I know a couple of you probably hate me for cliffhangers, so, uh, hate me, cause I am angry with the next few chapters that I'm re-writing them all. Kinda. 
> 
> I've had several cups of coffee and maybe like three drinks of Irish Cream Liquor so I'm in a strange place right now. Don't send help, cause I've been reading too much smut. Thank AllocateAloe and their most recent chapter (Ch 29, Thrown Amidst Monsters) involving Gaster for giving me ideas of possible smut in the future. Like, I don't know what to do with my mind right now. I'm so far in the gutter that I might just change up some shit later. I'll make a warning if I do indeed change the rating and remove the 'no smut' tag cause REASONS. 
> 
> Also, check out the tag changes ;) 
> 
> FUCK. ENJOY.
> 
> ~Lady fuckin P

The conversation over relocation continued on for an hour after you had gotten home, mainly discussing funds, places to live near them, travel costs, etc. It was a pretty light conversation despite the situation, but you made it clear that you were only going to do this if your family was in danger, only if your entire family was notified and the plans of emergency relocation were discussed. Sans was relatively quiet during the conversation and avidly avoided looking at the screen, resorting to fidgeting or removing himself completely from the room. You weren’t sure why, and he wouldn’t explain.

 

Most of the monsters on screen had dispersed save for the two goat monsters and the campfire (you weren’t exactly sure what the fire thing was so that was what you called it for now). Sans was currently out of the room, as your family had returned home from their daily activities, and was mingling with them, as well as helping your mother out with cooking.

 

“My child, since we are in the company of only us four, I believe it is time for Grillby to have the chance to ask you questions.” Grillby?

 

Toriel turned towards the campfire, who had perked up at the mention of its name. The fire swirling around it had become erratic.

 

“Grillby, would you like to have a chance? You have unresolved questions, we know. Zenyth is able to answer most of your questions, if not all.”

 

You assumed the campfire was a guy. The way he moved and gestured showed a very fine-tuned man. Sans always mentioned that Grillby was a bartender but never mentioned anything about the guy himself, what he was, who he was, or who they were to each other. What you did know is that Sans spoke highly of him.

 

Toriel got up and the campfire took her place. His fire was noticeably dim and dull compared to earlier. You were starting to realize that his fire was his emotional tell. You weren’t sure of the emotions just yet, but you could tell they were definitely not good.

 

The campfire clicked his fingers along the keyboard. How the keys didn’t melt was beyond you.

 

_UNDYNE: I am Grillby. Toriel invited me earlier and said you may be able to answer some questions I had._

 

“Yea, uh, she mentioned that. I suppose most questions are about Sans and what happened?”

 

_UNDYNE: Yes. He looks quite different than I am accustomed to. It’s quite disturbing, if I am to speak honestly._

 

“I can understand that a bit. I didn’t know him before the incident so I only saw him through pictures he had saved.”

 

_UNDYNE: Then I will ask my first question. What happened to him, and what happened to Gaster?_

 

You sighed. You had gone through this conversation many times over, but this one felt much more personal than the others. Grillby almost seemed depressed, and because of that, you were wary of answering the current questions. What kind of relationship did him and Sans have? Him and Gaster?

 

“Once I answer that, I have my own question that I would like to ask. Is that okay?”

 

_UNDYNE: Of course._

 

You breathed in long and deep. “Sans said he died in the explosion. He felt himself turn into dust. He said that Gaster was next to him, and so Sans assumed that Gaster had died as well.” Grillby’s flames were a deep red at this point.

 

“Alphys explained that something called a ‘Dust Fusion’ may have occurred.” You jerked back in shock as the flames lit up considerably, flickering wildly. Anger? Distress?

 

“I’ve answered your question. Now I’m going to ask you mine. What were you to Sans and Gaster?” He perked up a bit, but his flames, yet again, dimmed.

 

_UNDYNE: Sans was a regular at my bar, and had become a very close friend. My best friend._

 

_UNDYNE: Gaster was another matter entirely and one that I will not discuss with you. I’m sorry, but, at this time, I’d rather speak to Sans._

 

You frowned at that. “If you’re going to talk to him, I’m gonna be in the same room. I’m the only one able to calm him down through half the shit you guys have said to him.” Grillby looked down.

 

You got up and opened your door. “Sans! C’mere!” You heard chatter and saw him coming up the stairs. You met him at the door but wouldn’t let him come in just yet. “There’s a new monster on the call, wanting to talk. He’s not looking so good.”

 

Sans raised a brow. “Is it Grillby?” You nodded and he sighed.

 

“Fuck me. I was gonna contact him soon.” He looked considerably uncomfortable as you let him into the room. He crawled onto the bed to find the campfire still looking down.

 

“Grillbz.” Sans said.

 

The campfire perked up and his flames cracked. He actually sounded like a campfire.

 

Grillby went to type and Sans interrupted. “No, Grillbz, if you’re gonna type I’m gonna end the call. I was wanting to call you for a few days, just been… busy.”

 

The campfire seemed to be nervous but after a few more crackles and a puff of smoke, he relented.

 

 _“Sans… what happened…?”_ His voice was raspy. Actually kind of reminded you of Sirius Black’s way of communicating with Harry Potter.

 

Sans sighed, but you spoke up. “I already told you that.” Sans side-glanced you and brought a hand up to rub the spot near his left eye.

 

“Grillbz, it’s like Zen said. I should have died, technically did, and fused with Gaster. At least, it’s just a theory right now.” Sans noticed just how dim Grillby’s flames were and looked extremely concerned.

 

“Grillbz?”

 

The campfire looked down and spoke. _“Sans… Gaster was… my friend.”_ Sans nodded.

 

“I’m aware, Grillbz-“ Campfire shook his head.

 

 _“Stop… Sans, it hurts… to look at… you. Gaster was… not only my friend…”_ He trailed off and was nearly wine red before continuing. _“He was… so much more… and know you… are alive and he…”_

 

Grillby looked away, but you understood clearly. So, so clearly. Sans looked like Gaster, and Grillby and Gaster had a thing. You’re not sure how far that ‘thing’ went, but it was enough to cause Grillby considerable heartache. You glanced at Sans who was simply wide-eyed with shock and confusion.

 

“Grillbz, wait. You and dad were… together?” He spoke lowly and slowly, carefully choosing his words.

 

Grillby nodded very slowly. _“He was… my mate, Sans.”_

 

That caused even Toriel and the other goat-monster to look up. Grillby couldn’t bear to look at Sans because all he saw was Gaster, but the soul within the face was not his mate.

 

The next question Sans had for Grillby made your entire thought process stop.

 

“Grillby. Do you… Do you blame me?” He was looking at the screen, deadpan, awaiting a response or reaction from the Campfire.

 

Grillby’s head fell and his shoulders hunched. The flames were far too dim. Toriel was beginning to stand when he finally responded.

 

_“…no… But, I do not… think that I… can look at… you the same… anymore.”_

 

That was enough to piss Sans and you off. Sans stopped talking and got up. He walked around the bed till he was at the door.

 

“Sans, you’re not leaving.”

 

His hand rested on the doorknob. “I need some air.” With that, he simply vanished. That must have been the ‘shortcut’ that Alphys mentioned. Motherfucking bone-head of a skelefuck.

 

You sighed and brought your gaze back to the camera where Toriel was consoling a very dim Grillby. He may not blame Sans, and you could kind of understand, but this was still his friend. His ‘best’ friend. How fucking dare he.

 

“Grillby.” You spoke forcefully, which effectively got his attention.

 

“I understand what you see and what you’re experiencing right now, but Sans is your friend, regardless of his appearance. Gaster was his father. Would you look at him differently if he was instead born with those marks? What if Papyrus had inherited the marks?”

 

“My child,” Toriel began to speak but you cut her off.

 

“I’m sorry Toriel but this is between me and Grillby. Have you even told Grillby of what’s been happening?”

 

“I have not.”

 

“Oh, good." You said, sarcasm practically dripping from your voice.  "Grillby, I’m a little on edge and very protective of Sans. He moved here with nobody. We were his first friends. Now we’re getting hit on by a hate-gang run by my ex, who actually attacked Sans tonight. Guess what, Grillby?” He turned his full body towards you.

 

“He almost died tonight and you would have lost not only your mate but your best friend, again. He got shot. Maybe you can get over the Dust Fusion’s effects and see that Sans is still Sans.”

 

His flames around his face flashed blue for a split second, then his normal flames went back to their normal red but flickered lazily. Embarrassed? Good.

 

“Now, I’m gonna go comfort a skeleton. If things get worse, I want him to be safe, and that means I’ll be giving him back to you guys. Eventually you’ll see him again. As for now, work on forgiving him for shit he hasn’t done.”

 

With that, you hung up the call.

 

* * *

 

 

Sans was sitting on the steps in front of the front door. The cold night air was helping clearing his head of the hot mess that was tonight. His side burned and creaked, but he could care less. Physical pain was a lot easier to deal with than the shit that was going on in his head. He was so distressed by talking with Grillby that he got out a cigarette. He didn’t really care that Grillby was reacting like that. Sans had too, at first. Seeing his dad in the mirror instead of him was terrifying and definitely fucked with his mind, but he got over it within a few weeks and accepted that this was the new him. The one thing that mattered during that conversation though, was that his dad and Grillby were mates. That meant that Grillby was not only his best friend but also his stepfather. He’d never get over that.

 

His brow furrowed. Why the fuck had they kept that a secret? He could understand to a point since both of them were highly dedicated to their work and hardly talked about anything other than their work, but still. How the hell did they even manage to develop feelings for one another?

 

Sans’ thoughts were broken upon hearing the creaking of the door behind him. He turned to find you working on sitting next to him. He looked up to the sky. He couldn’t bear to meet your eyes.

 

“Grillby messaged after I yelled at him.” Sans blinked. You had yelled at Grillby?

 

“He said that he’s sorry he didn’t mention the relationship, but it was relatively knew at the time. The accident happened only two months after they made it official to themselves.”

 

Sans’ eyes began welling with tears. The mating for monsters only occurred between two monsters if the feelings were strong and mutual. They had to had been developing their relationship for years. Considering they were both pre-war, how long had they been dating without Sans knowledge?

 

He finally felt your stare after some time, and glanced over. You immediately flushed and looked away, leaving Sans in a similar state. You know what. Fuck it.

 

“Just sayin, if your cheeks get any redder you’re gonna erupt in flames.”

 

* * *

 

 

You flushed even harder. Now he was fucking teasing you about the blushing, with a slight pun about Grillby in the midst of that. What a jerk!

 

“Yea, well, if you get any yellower, you might wanna stop smoking.” You snapped back. He chuckled at that one.

 

“Zen, you know I only do it every so often.”

 

Wait, he took you seriously? Heh.

 

“Not sayin’ you aren’t smokin’ enough but…” Act casual, Zen.

 

He flushed even harder. The yellow was even more prominent, his eyes were fuller and his left eye was ever so slightly tinged yellow. He caught the flirt! You smiled at your success.

 

“You make it sound like you’re wanting to jump my bones, there, Zen.” His voice was deep and nearly a whisper, but you heard it clear enough. The hell did that mean?

 

“If that was an attempt at a pun or flirt it didn’t work cause I don’t understand.” His smug grin returned instantly.

 

He was about to say something when you shivered. It was the end of fall, so nights were getting rather cold. You still didn’t understand why he wore such thin clothing.

 

“Are you getting cold, Sans?”

 

He shook his head. “Nah. I can’t feel the difference between hot and cold. Goes right through me.” You lightly glared at the pun but were more or less wanting to get inside. You stood up, and Sans followed.

 

A few hours pass with just you and Sans casually talking about random shit, the attack, his blood, Grillby, Gaster, and whatever else you could think of. Apparently his blood color matches his power color, as does nearly every other monster who’s magic is defined by color rather than elements or abilities. Papyrus’ blood was orange, and his blood before the incident was blue. Gasters’ blood was black or a very dark purple. 

 

He was rather confused with the whole Grillby and Gaster thing, but he said he wasn’t surprised. They were always rather close, but he didn’t think anything of it considering they were both dedicated to their work.

 

After the conversation ended, you both fell asleep.

 

~~\|||/~~

 

You woke up with a start. Something in your dreams scared you, but you couldn’t remember what it was. You’d never woken from a dream before so the thought of it was somewhat scary. You looked to your phone to find it only around 3 A.M.

 

You finally noticed the intense energy around you. You quickly turned around to find Sans writhing. His eyes were clamped tightly shut, his hands gripping the fabric of the pillow and sheets. He was shivering, tossing and turning. What the hell was going on?

 

He made a slight whimpering noise, and tossed. His left hand came up and you saw your phone fly across the room, shattering. Oh dear. You needed to wake him, and you needed to do it now.

 

You started shaking him, grasping at his shoulder. “Sans! Wake up!” You yelled. You didn’t quite know the extent of Sans’ power but if your phone shattering was just a taste, you didn’t want to know the full power. Not against you if he couldn’t control it.

 

“Sans!” You yelled again, shaking him harder. He started groaning, clutching at his chest. You could hear a faint thrumming of energy coming from him, and saw a faint light coming from where he was clutching.

 

“SANS!” You screamed his name, which made his eyes snap open. All the energy that hadn’t yet been used suddenly released, throwing you backwards and off the bed directly into your dresser. Your back screamed in pain and something in your chest made it near impossible to breathe. You huddled in a corner, making sure you presented yourself as a small target against his magic. You hugged your knees and hid your face, slightly shaking.

 

You didn’t know how much time had passed, but soon you felt Sans hugging you loosely. You didn’t fight it, didn’t shy away from it. You weren’t scared of him, just of his magic when it acts on its own. Remaining in the embrace, you relaxed and slowly released your knees so that you could return the hug, but much tighter. Your face nuzzled into his neck as he held you there, rocking you, whispering something you couldn’t understand. He backed away and held your face between his hands, inspecting you.

 

“Did I hurt you?” He asked, voice stern but quiet.

 

You shook your head. Wasn’t a lie, but wasn’t the truth.

 

He didn’t like that answer. He growled and shook his head quickly.

 

“Zen, did I hurt you? Did my magic hurt you?”

 

You sighed. If he wanted to know, fuck it.

 

“Fine. Yea, you did. I screamed at you and when your eyes opened your magic reacted and flung me back. I hit the edge of my dresser. It hurts, but I’m pretty sure it’s just gonna bruise.”   
  
He couldn’t look at you. You could see the yellow tears streaming again.

 

“Goddammit Sans, I’m fine. It’s just gonna bruise.”

 

He shook his head. If that wasn’t it then what the shit was he worked up about?

 

He inhaled a shaky breath. “Are you… are you afraid of me?”

 

Ah.

 

“No. I’m not.”

 

He looked up quickly, brows furrowed. “How are you not? I could have killed you!”

 

He was trembling again. You sighed.

 

“Sans, shut up for once.”

 

His eyes widened and his eyelights shrunk. You continued to glare at him. You weren’t easily scared by some things, and his magic like this was not one of them. You had to show him somehow and the only way you could think of…

 

Your heartbeat started to race at the thought. Your face flushed. Instead of looking away, you continued to stare at him. This, in turn, flustered him. He blushed heavily and his eyelights shivered, although they were bigger again.

 

“Uh… Z-Zen? You okay there b-buddy?” You attempted, and failed, at holding back a smile.

 

“Yea, milk-bag, I’m good. See?” Your smile widened and you hugged him again. “Doesn’t matter what your power does. You won’t ever purposefully hurt me, and I know that. Your magic can be unpredictable, we know that now. Your magic is powerful as shit, but you explained that. You scared off a gang of eight guys by simply increasing your magic spread over an area. Sans, you’re awesome, and you have to realize this.” You stopped talking so that he could gather his thoughts for a bit.

 

When he didn’t reply, you continued. “Sans, the only thing I’m gonna request is that you tell me fully what your power entails. I’ve seen your little ‘shortcut’, I’ve seen the pressure, I’ve seen your eye, and now I’ve seen some sort of psychokinesis or telekinesis. Can I say that one of my favorite characters in a video game actually uses psychokinesis to grab objects?”

 

He lightly laughed. You were getting to him and you were thankful for always being able to cheer up friends by being a bit of a joker. Not Sans-level joking but your own type of joking.

 

You hugged him tighter. “You’re not allowed to leave me. A little thing like this isn’t gonna scare me off. I’ve got more determination than you give me credit for.”

 

“Zen, you have no idea.” He chuckled.

 

You pulled back again only to have your back scream in distress. You grimaced in pain, which caused Sans to get concerned.

 

“Hey, I didn’t do all that work of cheering you up for nothing, milk-bag. It’s just my back. Help me up on the bed so I can lie down.”

 

He helped you up onto the bed and you laid down on your back. Breathing a sigh of relief, you relaxed.

 

He moved to the other side of the bed and once lying down, faced you. You both stared at each other for a bit until Sans got flustered and looked away. You smirked.

 

Sans’ phone chimed just then. Upon checking it, he got your laptop out and activated Skype. Your eyebrow raised at him and he shrugged. Hm.

 

Skype instantly received a call from Undyne’s account, and when answered, Alphys was on the other end. The background had changed from the normal house, which had wood flooring and accents to a place that looked much too sterile. White walls, white floors, while ceiling. She was wearing a lab coat and her glasses shined in such a way that her eyes were not visible.

 

“Hey Alph, what’d you need?” Sans asked. “We’re kinda busy.”

 

“Sans, it’s a-about the Dust Fusion. I f-found some rather interesting r-research documents about i-it.”

 

Oh. Well, that’s a good enough reason to call, then.

 

“What’d you find?”

 

“Well, I did find that it i-is somewhat reversible.”

 

You gasped, but Sans only furrowed his brow.

 

“How reversible?”

 

“It says t-that the monster who’s body a-accepted the Fuse will s-still retain the appearance t-that they obtained during the Fuse.”

 

~~\|||/~~

 

Sans hung up with Alphys and sat there in silence. His thinking-face was going, and you could practically hear the gears turning.

 

You let him be and checked on social media things before finally logging off for the night. You didn’t realize you had fallen asleep until you woke up; light faintly coming through the windows, meaning it was about seven in the morning. You turned over and nearly hit your face on the sleeping skeleton beside you. He had cuddled up to you after a while, it seems.

 

You smiled lightly at him. His face was peaceful, and drool was slightly running out. His breathing was deep and even.

 

You gave up what control you had and let your hand move to his face, where your thumb lightly swept along his cheekbone. It was smooth and warm, and the thin layer of magic met your fingers, instantly electrifying your touch. You were so concentrated running your thumb around his cheek, mouth, and jaw, that you hadn’t realized that Sans’ eyes were open and watching you.

 

He let you explore. He fought back the want to smile or laugh so that you wouldn’t stop. Your hand was soft and plushy against his bones.

 

He made a noise when your hand approached the vertebrae around his neck that startled you into looking up, finding his eyelights focused on you. You both instantly blushed and you hid your face against his chest. His laugh rumbled through his chest, but you were concentrating on the thrumming sound you heard from earlier. It was back, and it was quicker. Could you be hearing his soul?

 

You realized your heartbeat had quickened and reached up to your neck to feel your pulse. It was thumping at the same pace as Sans’ soul. Okay what the hell does that mean.

 

“So…” You heard him say. You slowly looked back up to the blushing skeleton, who was still gazing at you. You made a questioning noise and he cleared his throat.

 

Your thoughts ranged from ‘what the fuck am I doing’ to ‘why is this skeleton so damn cute’.

 

“So… What?” You asked.

 

He groaned and rubbed his face before responding. “Forget it. Nevermind.”

 

Oh no you don’t, fuck this.

 

Next thing you knew, your lips met his.

 

 

 


	14. Fight Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo! Warning for violence, so, yea. Have fun.

Sans froze. His body didn’t know how to properly react to what was going on. One minute you were feeling him up and the next you were… kissing him. Sans couldn’t keep his thoughts at bay for some time, as you both continued to flirt, though he thought yours was just harmless teasing. Was it like that for you, too? Did you think he was simply teasing?

 

Jeez, were you both stupid or what.

 

The kiss only lasted a few seconds, as Sans had not yet returned it. You stopped and flushed harder, but were somewhat disappointed. You lowered your head to his chest and stayed there for a bit, rummaging through the mess that was your thoughts. Was that wrong to do? What would he think?

 

Your insecurities were coming forth, hard. He was going to leave. You’d ruined the friendship with your stupid thoughts. He was doing nothing more than being your friend and here you go, one-upping that into failure.

 

You shook your head lightly and forced your eyes shut, attempting to force the thoughts to cease. It worked a bit, but the silence between you and Sans was beginning to damper your mood. He hadn’t made a move to leave yet, which surprised you.

 

One of his bony hands had begun to move, and your thoughts darkened again, but stopped instantly once the hand caressed your cheek, the thumb running along it. You looked up to see that Sans was staring at you, his brow furrowed. You returned the gaze until he spoke up.

 

“What was that for?”

 

He couldn’t have asked it in another way?

 

Sighing, you moved to sit up, only to be held down. You glared at him, and one brow raised a bit higher. His eyelights were about normal sized, and his facial expression wasn’t negative. Maybe you were overthinking this, yet again.

 

You lowered your head back to stare at his chest, mumbling a “Sorry.”

 

His grip tightened and a rumble went through his body. “Nothing to be sorry for.”

 

…wait what.

 

You looked back up, confusion marking your face, in time to find Sans meeting your gaze, his face much closer than before. Basically nose to nose, your breathing started to pick up, and your heart started to race. Did he-

 

He quickly cut that thought off my returning the kiss. This time, though, it felt so much better.

 

You kissed back lightly, noticing that his magic was sparking against your lips. The light magic barrier over his bones reacting much like skin and lips, but the electric feeling behind it intensified this moment into something incomprehensible.

 

A few moments later, and the kiss ended. It wasn’t enough to leave you breathless, but your thoughts were shocked into silence, which had just about the same effect.

 

You both were silent, eyes still closed, just taking in each others’ breathing. You broke the silence but giggling. Sans backed away, his brow raised and a small smile covering his face. Your arms reached around him, bringing him closer to you. He returned the gesture, and you held each other. It was a nice, calm moment, until he lightly touched your lower back, making you squeal and writhe around in his grip.

 

“Sans!” You protested, but he continued the assault.

 

He smiled and laughed the entire time. You were wriggling in his grip, making the cutest little noises as you attempted to escape. Where your thoughts were muddy, his thoughts were crystal clear. That kiss broke a barrier within him, and he wanted nothing more than this happiness he was feeling. He had never been happier in his life. The little touches, the kiss, the giggles you made, the squishiness of your skin, he wanted so much more of it.

 

You were starting to gasp while saying his name, making him blush, and his mind hit the gutter. That little break in his concentration allowed you to escape from his grasp, and as you scrambled away, you fell off the bed. He could still hear your giggles, which made him laugh harder, tears brimming at the edges of his eyesockets.

 

You were a weird human, but he wanted nothing more than for you to be ‘his’ human.

 

You peeked your head over the side of the bed and glared at him, making a huffing noise that made your nostrils flare.

 

Sans broke.

 

He doubled over laughing, tears spilling over. You smiled maliciously. You launched yourself over the edge of the bed and landed next to him, where you proceeded to tickle him in revenge. He squirmed under your hands which only made you tickle him harder and faster.

 

With a growl and a flash of his yellow eye, you were thrown on your back on the bed. With a huff, you threw your arms over your chest and glared at Sans, who was attempting to get air.

 

“No fair.” You grumbled.

 

He turned his head towards you, grin stretching to either side of his face. You both sat there for a moment, collecting your breath, when you heard a door open from the hall.

 

A knock sounded. Oops.

 

“Yea?” You called. The door opened, revealing your mother, looking less than pleased to be woken so early.

 

“We could hear you from our room, what’s the deal with laughing so damned early?”

 

You and Sans looked at each other, blushing slightly.

 

“Uh…”  
“Well…”

 

Your mother raised an eyebrow as you and Sans spoke in unison. She sighed and rubbed her face with one hand.

 

“Okay, you know what, I didn’t wake up to receive cryptic answers. Did I interrupt something?” She asked.

 

Sans looked at her then, shit-eating grin in place. “Kinda. Your kids got a thing for bo-“

 

You quickly covered his mouth, not wanting your mother to hear what he had to say. You looked at your mother, cheeks flushed and nervous smile plastered on your face, and was about to say something when you noticed her eyes were wide and a small smirk had appeared.

 

“Oh. Well, as long as you don’t get her pregnant, we’re good. I’m gonna make some coffee.”

 

With that, she left the room.

 

You slowly looked at Sans, flustered, but a murderous grin replacing the nervous one. It seemed to have transferred over to Sans because he had started to sweat, his eyelights shrunk, and his grin turned nervous.

 

“My mother knows now, bonehead. Think you could have been a BIT more inconspicuous?”

 

He nervously laughed. “Uh, I think she might have found out sooner or later, Zen.”

 

You fell away from him with a loud groan and fell to your side of the bed, mumbling complaints into a pillow. He went back to laughing loudly, but instead of getting up and leaving, he wrapped himself around you.

 

You turned over to find him looking at you with a serious expression. You sat up and waited for him to speak.

 

“So…” He started, averting his eyes and bringing a hand up to the back of his neck. “Are we officially a thing?”

 

You smiled and leaned in to kiss him lightly, which he returned. “Yep.”

 

He grinned. “Good. Now you’re my human and I’m not sharing with anyone.”

 

“Wait, what?” You asked, laughing.

 

“Yep,” He smiled as he poked at your chest. “mine. All mine.”

 

~~\|||/~~

 

A few hours pass and your entire family knows that Sans and you are officially dating. Neveah was home today, so when Marcus came home, she handed him a $10 bill. They had apparently started the bet when Sans moved in, and Marcus had won by betting that you would make the first move, while Neveah bet on Sans.

 

A few weeks pass, a few interruptions here and there with the gang, but nothing too major. Guess seeing Sans as fearsome as he was, get shot, and live, was enough for them to stay away for a good while.

 

Alphys, you, and Sans had a few more conversations concerning the Dust Fusion. Mostly science stuff that you couldn’t understand, so finally, you had to ask what it really was.

 

Dust Fusion was a thing allowed to certain monsters to combine themselves, creating a stronger monster and fusing the consciousness of both monsters in a single body, which took up the appearance of both of them. The reason it was done, though, varied greatly. Most of the reasons were that both monsters were nearing death, but wanted to survive. Other reasons weren’t specified, but one thing was: both monsters must be aware and must have accepted the Dust Fusion for it to work.

 

Sans was not aware that he had agreed to it, though him and Alphys agreed he must have done it subconsciously or just as he turned to dust. Neither of them could speak for Gaster, so it was assumed that it was the same with him.

 

Of course, the discussion of reversing it came up. The only issue, was that both monsters had to be conscious and agree to separate. There was a chance they could turn to dust upon separation, and the monster that has the most control over the body would not gain their former appearance back. Gaster may be able to come back, but may not be the same. How, neither of them were sure, but Alphys said she would continue her research and let Sans know if she found anything. You both got her number and ended the call.

 

Another few uneventful weeks pass, and you started to wonder if Alphys or Undyne knew. They kept making subtle, or in Undyne’s case, not so subtle hints that you and Sans were too close to be ‘just friends’. Sans told you not to say anything, but you were beginning to break, and since they already knew, what would it do?

 

One conversation with them later and they definitely knew. You had finally relented and admitted, which ended up being a slight mistake. You weren’t even able to move away from the laptop in time for another call to come in. You answered, and Toriel was on the other end, with the fucking smuggest grin you’ve seen on her yet. You and her eventually made up for your first impressions, and you both soon realized you were kindred spirits, which made your friendship quick and powerful. You could hide nothing from her, and she could hide nothing from you. She knew, whether Undyne and Alphys told her or not.

 

“What’s the smug look for, Tori? It’s a weird look on you.” You said as your half-smile grew.

 

“Oh, Zenyth. I am sure you know exactly why I have called. You cannot hide things from me.” Her smug grin remained, though her eyes pretty much twinkled with mischievousness.

 

“Oh, and that wouldn’t have been because Undyne and Alphys, would it?”

 

She giggled. “They may have helped confirm my thoughts, yes.”

 

You sighed and made sure that if you ever met Undyne or Alphys to give them noogies.

 

“Okay, you’ve convinced me. But I’m still not saying anything.”

 

“No matter. I see that you and Sans are quite the item.” Grr.

 

“Yea, the milk-bag is quite the handful. Though he’s turning more into a condensed-milk-bag since he’s so sweet.”

 

“I am sure he is showing you a side of himself that none of us here have seen. He has always kept people at a distance. Frisk and Sans have always been close, but she is the only one I am aware of that knows him like that.” Her smile grew soft. “If he has opened a soft spot for you, then you are special to him. I am glad that Sans has allowed himself a bit of happiness, and I am glad that he has chosen you.”

 

Okay, you blushed a bit at that. You never knew how to feel about praise, but hearing it from Toriel made it a lot better than you could ever think.

 

Just then, the door to your room opened, revealing Sans. “Hey, you got work soon.”

 

Oh fuck, is it that time already? Sure enough, looking at the clock showed you had two hours before work.

 

“Crap. Hey, Tori, I’ve got work soon so I gotta go. Do you want to talk with Sans, or…”

 

“Of course. I would love to speak with him.” She spoke with a hinting tone. You slowly turned to Sans and saw the yellow start to dust his cheekbones.

 

“Yea, sorry Sans. She found out.” His blush deepened.

 

“I figured she would. Shit.” He let out a deep sigh. “Lemme talk. Go get ready.”

 

* * *

 

 

As you left the room, Sans approached the laptop apprehensively. He didn’t know what to expect but the way you looked when he came in just worried him more.

 

He sat in front of the laptop and looked at the screen to find Toriel smugly grinning at him.

 

He nervously laughed. “Uh, heya Tori. What’s up?”

 

“Oh, Sans, I am sure you know ‘what is up’.” Her smug grin didn’t falter, but instead it grew.

 

Sans’ blush covered about half his face at this point. “Uh…”

 

Toriel giggled. “Oh, my dear. You do know that I am happy for you both, do you not? I am glad to see you finally allowing yourself some happiness. You deserve it, Sans.”

 

Their conversation continued until you left for work. Sans escorted you to the car and kissed you goodbye.

 

* * *

 

 

Work went well, though a little quiet. Most families were already home and eating dinner with their families, so it was just an occasional straggler here and there. Destiny had known about the relationship practically since the day you got back, so of course, she teased you. Several jokes about ‘boning’ occurred every time you and her worked together. At one point her jokes had gotten so bad you had to get her in a headlock to shush her. Jackson was let in on it and occasionally teased you as well, though it was light-hearted and well meant. He teased Sans most, since, you know, guys.

 

It was getting close to the time you would normally start doing chores and getting ready to clock out when a large group came in to the store. You and Destiny groaned but manned the registers and greeted them. They were all wearing large hoodies, which made you both uncomfortable. They went their separate ways to look around the store. Destiny had silently gotten her phone out to text Jackson and let him know about the group, just in case. You counted nearly fifteen of them, give or take a few.

 

They were around for twenty minutes, just walking around, when you had to speak up about closing.

 

“Hey, I apologize but we’re closing up soon. If you could check out quickl-“

 

“Who said we were ever checking out?”

 

You and Destiny gasped as the men turned towards you and started heading towards the front counter. You quickly pressed the panic button, sending a silent alarm to the authorities. Was this them? Had they finally decided to attack?

 

At that moment they rushed you and Destiny.

 

A few of them clambered over the counter while the others rushed around. You were shoved backwards against the cigarette rack and pinned as one of them grabbed your neck. Destiny was thrown to the floor and with one swift kick to her face, was knocked out.

 

“Stupid bitch, just had to bring more people into the mix, huh?” The guy holding you growled. His grip tightened as he went to throw you over the counter into the open space, allowing more of the guys to surround you. As you hit the floor, a kick to your ribs removed any air stored within your lungs. You couldn’t see how many of them had joined in, but more and more of them started kicking you, a couple at the ribs, a couple at your legs, and a couple at your face. You drew up your arms to protect your face from further damage only to be dragged by your hair to the break room.

 

“You stupid monster-fucking cunt. We’ll make you pay. Cody’s in jail cause a you.”

“Maybe we should take advantage of the little slut. She likes monsters so much maybe we should just show her what a real man feels like.”

“Just kill her and send a message to that monster of hers. We can dust him when he comes for us again.”

 

Their words cut through you like wind. It was cold but meant nothing to you. You smiled through the pain, knowing that your next move may very well piss them off too far.

 

“Stupid humans. Fuckers like you are why I love a monster.”

 

Silence. You could practically feel the rage crackling around you. You laughed.

 

“Doing this won’t do shit, and Sans could easily kill all of you. What makes you think I’m scared of you pathetic pieces of trash?”

 

You looked up at them from where you were on the floor, smile still on your face.

 

“Only reason you’re wanting to take advantage of me is cause you can’t pleasure a woman enough to have them stick around you, pencil-dick fucks.”

 

A few of them growled in rage and resumed kicking you. You laughed in spite of the pain. If Sans knew what they were doing right now, he’d be here to kill them. You knew he would. You wouldn’t blame him, honestly, cause if you had a weapon you’d be using it.

 

You were pulled quite literally out of your thoughts as one of the bigger guys picked you up by your shirt collar and slammed against the lockers. He set himself between your legs as he reached for your zipper.

 

You started kicking as hard as you could. You were going to do anything you could to deny that from happening. At one point your knee connected with a sensitive area, because he released you and fell backwards. You smiled in triumph as two guys grabbed you this time. You continued to struggle against them and deny them the pleasure of taking you when the faint sound of sirens sounded. They all stopped moving for a minute as they realized what that sound was.

 

Heh.

 

“You fucking bitch!” One of the guys holding you screamed in your face, spittle hitting you before his fist connected with your stomach. You coughed as the wind was knocked out of you. You looked up to smirk only to half a fist hit you in the eye. You couldn’t feel the pain anymore, but knew that that punch did more than enough damage. The back of your head connected with the lockers as another punch landed on your face, and suddenly the room started to spin and your head felt like it was being cracked open.

 

The sirens were blaring now and the guys dropped you to run out the door. You forced yourself to get up and check on Destiny. Walking around the corner of the break room you find her sitting against the wall, with a phone to her ear. She notices you and gasps as tears flow freely. You assume she’s on the phone with Sans, but he would have been here already, so maybe Jackson or one of her family members.

 

You continued to talk over to her and finally collapsed, unable to continue. All the adrenaline from the attack had finally seeped from you. Pain was starting to let itself be known and you could tell something was broken or ruptured in your abdomen. Your left eye was starting to swell shut.

 

“Sorry, I was telling Jackson what happened…” Destiny said as she ended the call.

 

You couldn’t find the strength to reply, and so, remained quiet.

 

At that moment, you and Destiny heard the door ding as it opened and several pairs of shoes and voices could be heard. Destiny peeked over the counter and found that the group was made of several officers. She caught their attention and they quickly called for an ambulance. You were out of it, so Destiny relayed as much information as she could. When asked about your condition, she could not answer.

 

You gathered as much strength as you could and ended up telling them a very vague recollection of what had happened.

 

They wrote it down and asked if you had any family to contact. Destiny said she had already contacted hers but that she didn’t know your family’s number. You recited Sans’ number and she called it immediately. While she was talking with him, you were placed on a stretcher and sent off to the hospital.

 

* * *

 

 

Sans was having a talk with Lilian and Damian about random things, ranging from dinner for the week, new movies that had come out, and about plans that you and Sans had been planning for a week or so, when Sans received a phone call from an unknown number.

 

“Who is it?” Lilian asked.

 

“Not sure. Unknown number.” Sans said. He answered it anyway.

 

“Hello?”

 

“Sans!” he recognized the voice instantly.

 

“Destiny? What’s up?”

 

“You and Zen’s family need to get to the hospital as soon as you’re able. They came by and attacked us.”

 

Panic. He looked at Lilian, fear in his eyes.

 

“What happened? Is she okay?” He asked, the fear now seeping into his voice.

 

“I don’t know what they did but she is not okay. They got her good, Sans.”

 

Fuck! I just had to go and break her phone!

 

“Fuck… Okay, thanks.” He hung up before she could reply and started to stand.

 

“We need to go. Zen’s being rushed to the hospital.”

 

Lilian and Damian looked at him, eyes wide.

 

“What happened?”

 

“I’ll explain what I know on the way. We need to go. Now.”

 

~~\|||/~~

 

An hour later and all of you rushed into the hospital. Damian requested to know where you were and a nurse told them to follow her. You were in the ICU under close watch. This worried Sans more.

 

What the fuck did they do to you?

 

The nurse approached a door and opened it, revealing a normal hospital room with a bed on the left. IV’s and machines were hooked up to the still body that was there. Sans’ eyes went dark as he saw your condition.

 

Lilian ran up to your bedside, sobbing and holding your hand. Damian and Marcus approached the end of the bed and observed.

 

Sans slowly approached the other side of the bed, a numbness taking over his body. Your face was swollen, but your left eye was puffy and bruised. Your body was in bandages, and he could see through the thin gown that covered you that bruising was prominent along your chest and arms.

 

The nurse spoke up, detailing what the officers that responded to the call had said, which only infuriated Sans. He reminded himself to keep his power in check, for your sake, but wanted so hard to go out and find each and every assailant and dunk them. He started to tremble in rage, and was about to take a shortcut to get air when Lilian spoke up.

 

“Sans. I want you to take her to Washington.”


	15. Souls are Weird

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one was a bit weird. I also decided to do timestamps with the Skype things, that way they stand out more. I don't know. I like the way they look now. 
> 
> By the way, I personally love Ch 16 ;) So I can't wait till I am able to upload it.

Three days later, and you still hadn’t woken up.

 

Sans was beginning to stress. He still went to work to cover the shifts of both you and Destiny, but that didn’t mean he was really caring. He constantly zoned out, messed up, forgot to do chores, and occasionally snapped at a customer that decided to be rude. He wasn’t putting up with it. He couldn’t.

 

If he saw the group of guys again, he’d kill them. He didn’t care what happened to him, but he knew it would hurt you if you disobeyed the law or turned to dust. You were all that mattered to him at this point.

 

He was sitting in the break room for a bit after clocking out when his mind wandered back to what Lilian had told him.

 

_'I want you to take her to Washington.'_

 

That sentence played over in his mind like a song of yours on repeat. He’d have to contact Toriel, get a living space, possibly explain the rush, and then, on top of everything, deal with the backlash and attention that he would get once returning home. Of course, the other thought that ravaged his mind was what would happen to your family if you left. He knew they’d follow after a little while but they would be in danger for a while as they got things sorted out. Lilian had already put a sign up in your yard, stating that your house was for sale. She wanted nothing more to do with this town and these people. The authorities had been pretty lax on their duties to apprehend the attackers. Apparently, a couple of the kids were children of officers and government officials, so, of course, the authorities lowered the threat level of the case, which sent it back on importance.

 

He sighed as his thoughts went to you. You didn’t deserve any of this, but you accepted it so quickly, you defended it so easily. He really wanted to know if they said anything to you, since your condition only allowed you a few moments to give vague answers. Your injuries were pretty bad, but not life threatening. A few lacerations, a concussion, a black eye, tons of bruises, but the one that disturbed him the most was that you had three broken ribs. He knew how much fracturing and breaking of bones hurt, but wasn’t sure of how it affected humans.

 

His phone vibrated in his pocket, and he answered it without looking at the caller ID.

 

“Hello?”

 

“Hey.”

 

He gasped and widened his eyes. “Zen, holy shit.”

 

“Yea, right? Uh, I’m using moms phone cause, you know, you destroyed mine.” He winced but you were laughing a bit, so it eased him.

 

“How long ago did you wake up?”

 

“A couple of hours ago. Mom said you were at work so I waited till you were off. She left to pick you up so she should be there soon.”

 

He smiled and closed his eyes. “You sound okay.”

 

“Ha, yea, actually. You wouldn’t believe the doctor’s face when he came in. I won’t tell you shit, but I’m feeling rather… I’m feeling better than great.”

 

Huh?

 

“What do you mean?” He heard a giggle on the other end. If your ribs were broken, he knew that would be hurting you, yet, not a single gasp of pain escaped you.

 

“You’ll see. I’m gonna get off the phone and listen to music for a bit. Just shoot me a text when you get here.”

 

“Will do.” _Click_.

 

He sighed and rubbed at his left eye when he felt a presence behind him. Turning, he noticed Jackson standing there, watching him.

 

“Sup?”

 

He looked uncomfortable as he said, “So, uh… A little birdy told me that you and Zen might be leaving?”

 

Oh. Fuck.

 

“Uh… Yea, actually. I forgot to mention it.” Sans’ hand went to the back of his head. “With the shit that’s been goin’ on, we think it’s best to leave so she doesn’t get hurt anymore. Her mom suggested it.”

 

Jackson nodded, though his face said he wasn’t done talking.

 

“I’ll put in a two-weeks notice for you both and inform regional management of the issue. They are aware of the attack but not of the affect it had on you and Zen.” He paused. “I’ll say this as a friend, not just a boss, but I’m worried for you both. So, keep in touch, yea?” He looked directly in Sans’ eyes as he said the last sentence.

 

Sans smirked. “Of course. Lemme get your number.”

 

As Sans and Jackson traded numbers, Lilian came into the store and Sans left with her. There was mostly silence on the way to the hospital, as Lilian hadn’t been in much of a talking mood these past few days because of the issues with the authorities. They were wearing her thin, and she didn’t want to talk in fear of snapping.

 

Finally reaching your room, he knocked and entered. He was not prepared for what he saw next.

 

* * *

 

 

You heard a knock at the door and looked up expectantly. You smiled as you saw the bony hand of your boyfriend, and as he came around the door’s barrier, he saw you. Wide-eyed, he stood there in shock. Your body was mostly healed, save for the ribs and your left eye, but they were mostly healed. In what would have taken weeks to heal only took days. It was incredible, but nobody could understand.

 

As Sans stood there, gazing at you, you could see the yellow tears gathering his eyes as a questioning look appeared on his face. He shook his head, still keeping his gaze locked on your body.

 

“How… I don’t…” He trailed off, but you knew what he was asking.

 

“I know just about as much as you. They were changing my bandages since I was awake and my bruises are practically gone and my ribs are mostly healed.” You smirked more to yourself than to him.

 

His expression eased by a fraction, and he finally approached you and embraced you in a hug. You returned it, though eventually you glanced up and gave him a quick kiss. He backed up and sat in a chair in front of you.

 

“So. Do you… Do you remember what happened?” He asked and was surprised to hear you laugh.

 

“Yea, actually! Oh man, they were so pissed.” You continued to laugh, even as Sans’ expression grew serious. “Sans, no need to be so stony. I’m not Medusa. Anyway, no, they were pissed cause I was talking shit. Wouldn’t have mattered if I said it or not, they were still beating the shit outta me. I’m just glad I got them to fucking think for even a few seconds.”

 

He didn’t relent, and was glaring now, eyelights dim. You pouted. “Sans, c’mon. I’m trying to make light of the situ-“

 

“How the fuck can you make light of them nearly killing you?” He said, a dangerous tone creeping through his voice.

 

You sighed and returned his glare. “Cause I’m not one to dwell too much on the past. Those guys were pussies.”

 

He scoffed. “Yea, cause obviously you can let the memory of Cody go.”

 

You rolled your eyes. “He’s an entirely different matter. One of them said that he was in jail.”

 

“So, you’re just gonna let it go then?” You smirked as a meme through your mind.

 

“But did I die?”

 

His glare hardened into the fine lines you snort laughed at several weeks ago. You couldn’t help but giggle at him. No matter how serious the situation was, you had somehow healed and you were feeling pretty damn great. You survived their attack and you were ecstatic. You also knew that Sans’ irritation wasn’t totally directed at you, though your aloof attitude was probably getting to him.

 

He rolled his eyelights and face-palmed. “Why do I deal with you, sometimes?”

 

Heh. “Cause I’m your human, remember?”

 

He chuckled finally and looked up to you with a smile. An idea rang through your mind.

 

“Hey, should we tell Tori about this?”

 

At that moment, you remembered your mother was there. Well, the fact she cleared her throat kinda helped. You turned around to find her sitting at the corner table with your laptop. Her face was set and you could tell she wasn’t quite right, but you figured it was because of recent events.

 

She looked to your laptop as she spoke. “Zen, I think you and Sans should leave. Go to Washington and live with the monsters at Ebott.”

 

You blinked several times before the weight of her words clicked. You were no longer safe here, and she didn’t want you here in case another attack claimed you. You looked down to your hands, threading the fingers as you contemplated. Tori suggested it months ago, but you didn’t quite have a reason then. Now, your life, and Sans’, were in danger. Your brows furrowed.

 

“What about you and the others though?”

 

“I put our house on the market the day after your attack. As soon as it sells, we’ll head there with you.”

 

You nodded, but the decision weighed heavily. Your family would be in danger until they moved, and without Sans, they’d be left without protections. On the other hand, they weren’t in deep with the Gang as you and Sans were. Your family could easily avoid the Gang, especially since Sans will be leaving.

 

You closed your eyes and sighed. “Alright. Hand me my laptop so we can contact the monsters.”

 

She nodded and handed the laptop to you. You opened it, connected to the hospitals crappy Wi-Fi, and started up Skype. Undyne’s Skype was, again, online, so you sent a simple message.

 

 **5:43 P.M**.     _YOU: Hey, is anyone there? I need to talk with Tori._

**5:50 P.M.**      _YOU: C’mon guys, please._

 

 **5:51 P.M.**      _UNDYNE: Hold on, punk! She’s busy at the moment._

 

 **5:51 P.M.**      _YOU: It’s really important. Stuff happened and I need to speak with her._

 

 **5:53 P.M.**      _UNDYNE: Did that bone-head give you problems?_

 

You laughed and Sans grumbled.

 

 **5:54 P.M.**     _YOU: He always does. But seriously, I need to speak with Tori. It’s urgent._

 

Five minutes later and a video call from Undyne came through. You answered it and sighed with relief as the screen showed Tori.

 

“Hello, Zen. Undyne said you needed to speak with me urgently, that something happened?” She asked, voice as light and delicate as ever.

 

“Uh, yea, something big happened actually. Sans and I aren’t safe anymore, neither is my family. We were hoping…” You trailed off, getting nervous about asking this question, but continued despite yourself. “We were hoping we could move in with you guys.”

 

You couldn’t read her facial expressions this time since the hospital internet was horrid, but you heard a sigh of frustration.

 

“My child, what has happened?”

 

You recited the events that led up to your incident, and then told her vaguely what occurred three days ago. You heard her gasp in shock as you explained how many men were beating with within an inch of your life, and you could faintly make out that her hand moved to the middle of her chest.

 

“Oh, my dear child, I hope that you and your friend are all right.”

 

“Destiny is okay. She only got knocked out. Though, uh, not sure what happened with me, but I’m nearly completely healed.”

 

You looked to the screen after a few moments of silence. She hadn’t moved, but you could tell she was sitting up straight.

 

“Sans, I must ask something of you.” She spoke, a serious tone replacing her gentle one.

 

He moved so that he was closer to the bed and you slid the laptop around so it was facing him. “Sup, Tori?”

 

“Have you been able to see her soul?” His eyes widened though one brow raised higher than the other.

 

“No, I haven’t. You think it has somethin’ to do with that?”

 

“Possibly. If she has absorbed a portion of your magic, then that magic may have sped up her healing.”

 

He went into deep thought, and eventually looked at you. “You wanna take a look at your soul?”

 

He asked that so nonchalantly, you were instantly perplexed.

 

“Wait, you’ve mentioned souls before but I didn’t think they were a physical thing.”

 

“Yea, uh, monsters have the ability to see them and draw them out. Humans can’t see souls unless it’s outside of their body.”

 

You contemplated it, and though you were genuinely okay with it, you were concerned about side-effects.

 

“Is there anything I should be concerned about if we do this?”

 

Toriel spoke up to explain. “Only if Sans touches your soul.”

 

You shrugged. “Alrighty, let’s see it.”

 

You turned the laptop back to view you, and Sans stood up. His hand pressed against your sternum firmly. You could feel a warmth centering where his palm was, but the rest of your body felt as if it was being sucked of any warmth. All of it was centered around Sans’ hand, and you were about to mention it when his hand pulled away. Your breath rushed out of you, and the world around you turned black and white, save for the cartoon heart in front of you.

 

Sans’ smile was big and genuine. You could hear a faint noise from your mother and Toriel gasped.

 

Your soul was a blue gradient, ranging from a normal blue on the outer edges to a deep ocean blue in the center. Around your soul, there was a faint glow of yellow. Sans’ magic. There was a single crack through the center of it, though it looked shallow and short. You couldn’t believe what you were seeing, even though it was right in front of you. Sans gently pushed it back into your chest and the world around gained color once again. You had not realized your mother had walked up to your bedside until now.

 

You could not yet find the words to express yourself. What you saw was surreal. Humans had grown up thinking a soul was purely spiritual, and that where your soul went depended on what you did in life. With how your life had gone, you were pre-destined to go to Hell, but now…

 

You looked at Sans, eyebrows furrowed. “Why was it blue? Does your soul look like that?”

 

His smile faltered slightly before he explained. “No, monster souls are white and upside down. Ours aren’t exactly special.” He looked to you as he mentioned yours. “Your soul, though, was blue. There are different shades of blue, yea, but it doesn’t matter. The blue souls stand for Integrity, basically meaning you’re honest, have morals, stand for honor, and can be trusted.”

 

You sat, wide-eyed, at this information. The fucking color of my soul is a tell.

 

“So, you guys can just see a person walking and instantly know what kind of person they are?”

 

He got nervous with that. “Not quite. We can see the colors through your body, yea, but certain things that make up your soul, which can only be seen with it outside of you, actually tell us what a person is. Take yours. Yours is pure, untouched, save for that single crack. That crack means something happened in your life to break you.”

 

Cody. What a cunt.

 

“My child, did your soul have another color to it?” Toriel asked. You had honestly forgot that she was there, listening in.

 

Sans spoke up for you. “Yea, my magic was surrounding it. Explains a bit but doesn’t explain why she healed that quickly.”

 

“Sans, have you perhaps thought of how your magic changed after the Fusion? It seems you may be adept in healing magic.”

 

He nervously laughed at the camera. “I’ve never been able to do it. I don’t have the heart to.”

 

You glared at him instantly. He smirked.

 

“Skeletons don’t hav-“ You caught yourself, remembering that he said monster souls were upside down hearts. He laughed at your hesitation.

 

“Can’t give a comeback, Zen?” He challenged.

 

Your glare continued even as you said, “Come back with better jokes.”

 

You heard Tori giggle. He mocked offense. “But you heart my jokes.”

 

Really.

 

“They’re not as Sans-sational as you think, milk-bag.”

 

Toriel then coughed to get your attention. You silently thanked her for breaking up the growing pun-war. 

 

“So, in light of your other question, we have plenty of rooms here, and there are plenty of houses in Ebott to support you. We can send some friends your way to help you with the move, if you would like.”

 

Sans looked to you and was about to refuse when you shook your head at him. “Yea, that’d be cool. I’m not exactly trusting the people here in town. Don’t want to let a random mover in here if they’re one of the Gang.”

 

He visibly relaxed, agreeing with you.

 

“Alright then, my child. They will leave tonight and will be there within a few days. Catch up on some rest.”

 

“Who’re you gonna send, Tori?” Sans asked, a bead of sweat rolling down his skull.

 

“I will send the children I think will help the most.” She chided.

 

He shook his head at that, “Don’t send Paps. Please.”

 

“Do not worry, Sans. I would not have sent him anyway. Now, child,” she’s addressing you now in that soft voice, “I cannot wait to meet you.”

 

You softly smiled, unsure if she could see it. “I can’t wait either, though I’m pretty sure I’m rather tiny compared to you.”

 

She giggled again. “My child, I am only around seven and a half feet.”

 

Your eyes widened. How fucking tall are monsters normally?

 

“Uh, Tori, I’m only about five foot two…”

 

Sans laughed at that, to which you glared at him. He was taller than you, but never specified exactly how tall. “You?”

 

He looked at you, smirking with eyelights bright. “I’m about six foot one. The old me was about five foot seven.”

 

You groaned, then whined, “Why is everyone taller than me?”

 

An hour more of casual chit-chat, and a doctor came in to check you over. Seeing you were mostly healed, you were released. On the way home, your mother stopped at a Chinese take-out place and got you some food, which you devoured. You had to slap Sans’ hand away a few times as he threatened to steal some of your sesame chicken and noodles, but threw your fortune cookie at him.

 

Upon arriving at home, you were instantly wrapped in hugs and kisses from your brother and father. Neveah casually waved at you but continued watching her television program, which sounded like she finally took up your recommendation of Orange is the New Black.

 

You would have loved to hang with the family more, but even though you were practically in a coma for three days, you felt disgusting. Residing to the comfort of the steamy water, you let yourself relax by sitting down and letting the water hit you on the back. Once out, you went to your room to find Sans on your laptop, holding a steaming cup of tea, which he handed to you. Tasting it, you found it was Oolong. Yum.

 

You set down the tea on your dresser, and stood watching Sans for a moment. You were still in your towel and he made no effort in moving or looking away. You shrugged and grabbed a pair of underwear, a tank top, and shorts. You slipped on the underwear and shorts as you held the towel, but let it slip off as you put on your tank top. Turning around, you catch Sans glancing away, yellow dusting his cheekbones.

 

“Getting cheeky, are we?” You say with pride.

 

He gave you playful glare, but quickly returned his focus to the laptop. Now wondering what was so interesting, you climbed onto the bed and glanced at the screen. He had a Google search up of Ebott. He clicked one picture, which was an aerial view of a town. The copyright info on the bottom right corner stated it was taken two years ago. You couldn’t believe what a beautiful place it was.

 

Sans took this moment to wrap his arm around your shoulders and drag you close to kiss you. You returned it and it lasted for a few moments before it broke so you could both catch your breath. You laughed breathily and returned your gaze to the screen.

 

“We’ll be living there soon.” You stated. You knew he lived there at one time, but living with someone you care about versus living with family was always so much different.

 

He hummed in response. “It’ll be good to see them all again. Though, I am kinda worried about who Tori’ll send. I’m sure Undyne will be along. She might send one or two others.”

 

You smiled at the thought of meeting the monsters for the first time. You wondered if it would feel anything like when you met online friends for the first time. You’ve only met a few of them, but each time, it felt amazing. You’d only been friends with the monsters for a few months, but they definitely accepted you as family once the shock dissipated.

 

Sans shut the laptop and got up to put it away. He came back and you nuzzled against him, and quickly fell asleep.

 

* * *

 

 

Sans dozed off shortly after he started hearing you snore. He was expecting another nightmare, as he had them the last three nights, but something different came though this time, something completely unexpected.

 

Sans was in a dark room. He was illuminated, and the area around him seemed endless. He was standing upon some sort of clear barrier, though not glass. He looked around and could see nothing, though he started to hear the familiar sound of static. Panicking, he quickly turned around towards the sound and found himself face to face with Gaster.

 

The specter, who resembled his father but looked more like a dripping, goopy mess, stared at him with acute interest before smiling. Two hands materialized from nowhere, and he signed.

 

Hello, Sans. We have much to discuss. 


	16. Meeting the Family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, guys, I uh, neglected this a bit. I wrote this Ch and half of the next, and totally started a new fic. If you wanna read it, [click here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6227278/chapters/14267971). 
> 
> I'll try and update this at a minimum of twice a week while working on my other story, but no promises. 
> 
> Also, updated my Tumblr cause I'm stupid sometimes. [LP's Tumblr Thingy](http://lady-perun.tumblr.com/)

Sans stood there, too shocked to move. He continued to stare at Gaster, his body beginning to shake, his breathing faltering. He had seen this version of Gaster a few times, but it was usually due to him falling into the Void. This timeline, Gaster lived, somehow, and was able to continue and make it to the surface, helping with monster sciences and politics alongside Asgore.

 

So why the hell was this one here?

 

I am here to ask about the Fusion that occurred during our deaths.

 

He was able to read minds now?

 

No. You are in the Void, and thus, I am able to hear and control everything that happens within. 

 

Sans sighed. “Fine. What do you know of the Fusion?”

 

I know that it happened. I do not know why. 

 

“So you didn’t agree to it, either.”

 

Gaster remained silent and unmoving for a few moments before the Void around Sans shifted. It started to vibrate, a low sound began to resonate, lights were blinking in and out of existence. A faint voice was calling out, though you could not make it out.

 

Ah, she has awoken. 

 

“Who?”

 

Gaster’s form suddenly changed, and gained the appearance of the once great Royal Scientist; tall, dark, brooding, and official. He wore his usual white turtleneck, covered with a dark grey hooded blazer. Fitted black slacks covered his legs, and his shoes were professional black office shoes.

 

Sans smiled. This was the Gaster he knew and called father. No matter their differences, no matter the issues they had in the past, this was a different timeline and they forgave each other.

 

Sans, our link will close soon.

 

“Then I’m going to tell you now. I’m finding a way to separate us.” Sans smirked. “I’m kinda hoping to return your ass to Grillby.”

 

Gasters’ eyes widened, and he let out a nervous cough.

 

I am not sure-

 

“Don’t give me that crap. I look like you right now, so Grillby is having a hard time. He told me. How long was it gonna remain a secret?”

 

Gaster sighed and shoved his hands into his pants’ pockets.

 

We planned on informing you all on the anniversary of the Barrier’s Break. 

 

Sans nodded. “Well, now I know. On top of that, do you know that Zen and I will be moving?”

 

Gasters’ gaze fell back to Sans.

 

Of course. I have seen the violence. I have seen her Soul. 

 

Gaster then did something he rarely did.

 

He smiled.

 

She is good for you. I am glad you found this family, though I am not quite accepting of the circumstances of how you found them. 

 

The Void shimmered and a long, thundering crack rang throughout.

 

I am afraid our time has come to a close. It was good seeing you again, Sans. We will talk again.

 

As he disappeared, Sans’ eyes opened to reveal Zen looking down at him.

 

* * *

 

 

He had been writhing around in his sleep, but you knew it wasn’t a nightmare. There was no distress to his features or his movements, and his power wasn’t flaring. You weren’t sure what to make of it, but you didn’t want to wake him. His brow was furrowed and beads of sweat were starting to roll of his skull. He was clearly distressed.

 

You were about to shake him awake when he said something through his sleep. It was just a murmur, so you couldn’t make it out. What was going on inside that thick skull of his?

 

His eyes fluttered and he breathed in deeply. He slowly opened his eyes and looked around the room until his eyelights finally locked on yours, a small smile spreading.

 

Voice muddled with sleep, he muttered a quick, “Hey.”

 

“Hey.” You responded. You were sitting up and staring, so you knew when he finally woke up he’d realize something was up. Unfortunately, he seemed distracted.

 

“You were dreaming something fierce.” You stated. He quickly nodded.

 

“I’ll tell you about it when I figure out what to do about it.”

 

You raised an eyebrow as his phone chimed. He sighed and reached over for it. You got your laptop out, checking the time, which said 5:02 A.M. The sun wouldn’t be out for another two hours or so.

 

It was getting close to winter so you made sure to check the weather as well. You wanted to make sure that the monsters that were coming to help you move would be okay to drive, as you knew if the roads got icy it’d be quite hard to drive a moving truck in that.

 

The weather said it would be clear today, but tomorrow there was a high chance of thunderstorms. Oh, perfect, the day they would arrive.

 

As you sighed, Sans squeaked, causing you to jump and turn towards him. He was smiling at his phone, eyes wide. The hell?

 

“Sans?” You inquired, and he practically shoved the phone into your hand. You raised your eyebrow at him again, then glanced at the phone. It was a picture of three monsters, sitting in a vehicle. You smiled.

 

Undyne’s arm was outstretched to get a selfie of the moment. Her smile was wide and her gaze focused on the road ahead, but aside her were two other monsters that seemed to be bickering at one another. Asgore had taken the window seat across from Undyne, his brow furrowed, his mouth open and hands in the air. In between them was Grillby, his flame slightly higher than you usually saw it, but instead of deep red it was bright orange. His arms were crossed over his chest as he looked towards Asgore, and you could faintly make out white eyebrows behind the campfire’s glasses that were scrunched.

 

You laughed at the moment caught in time, and were glad that you decided to move. Not just out of safety, but also because this would be a great opportunity for you. Career options were plentiful in Washington, so your creative writing could finally be of use. You had been around a good part of the U.S., since your family every so often went on vacation to a spot several states away, but Washington was never in your view.

 

Sans’ voice drew you out of your thoughts, and you realized he was asking for his phone back. You handed it to him, but not before sending it to your email. It was a cute picture, to be sure.

 

* * *

 

 

Sans checked his messages again and found a few more messages from Undyne’s phone. She was making sure that their arrival would be a surprise, and made sure to inform Sans that they would be there in a few hours.

 

His brow furrowed, questioning how that could be possible.

 

He sent a text asking how they had made that kind of time, and got a text back within five minutes that stated they had not stopped moving, only switched drivers. She made sure to inform Sans that Grillby was a very slow driver and was way too over-careful.

 

Sans smiled. He knew you were looking at him, but he couldn’t help feeling so happy. No, that’s not the right word. Ecstatic. He’d been without his family and friends for so long, and here in a few hours, they’d be here, probably crushing him with hugs and noogies.

 

A thought came to mind at that moment. He was rather short before, and so nearly every other monster towered over him. He was now over six feet tall, so what would he be like standing next to them all? Asgore would still be towering over everyone, since his horns made him practically eight feet tall. Undyne and Papyrus were the same height, a good six and a half feet…

 

His smile widened, gaining a mischievous glint in his eyes.

 

He was still shorter than them, but he was no longer the shrimp. He might be able to give Undyne some shit back after all this time. He quickly realized that Grillby was a bit shorter than… them…

 

He was probably as tall as Grillby now. He laughed out loud at the thought, causing you to jump slightly.

 

“The fuck’s up with you?” You asked, a half-smile lighting up your face.

 

Sans looked at you, the glint not leaving his eyes. “I’m as tall as Grillby now.”

 

You giggled a bit before saying, “Well, I’m kinda wanting coffee.”

 

Sans nodded quickly and leaped off the bed and ran out of your bedroom. Padding down the stairs, he reached the coffee machine and began the brew. You quietly came up behind him and your hands wrapped around his center, causing Sans to chuckle lightly.

 

“Something on your mind, Zen?”

 

“Yea. It’s the last day I get here. Moving always took a toll on me.”

 

He turned around and saw your face set in a frown, eyebrows furrowed. Your eyes were in a daze. He understood though. You’d be leaving friends and family behind. He wasn’t sure if you would have moved with or without the Hate Gang’s intervention, but he had the feeling you were like him – that you’d move wherever you had to to be closer to the one you loved. Your family would move to Washington in a few weeks, but he knew you had developed anxiety from the thought of being separated from them with the Gang still present.

 

He cupped your chin and lifted your head so it was level with his, and gave you a light kiss. You returned it and a small smile played over your lips. He loved seeing you smile and constantly did things to see it, no matter how many times you had said you hated being spoiled. He was going to spoil you as much as he could to see you smile for him.

 

~~\|||/~~

 

A few hours later and a few members of the family were awake. Marcus stayed home from school since it was your last few days with the family, and your parents had taken a few days off of work to see you off. Neveah was fast asleep in bed, refusing to rise.

 

A new brew of coffee and a light breakfast were made as everyone settled into the kitchen. The breakfast consisted of eggs, sausage, and toast. Sans was about to dive in until Lilian set a bottle of ketchup before him. He looked up at her in surprise to find her glaring at him.  


“Only allowing it because you’re leaving soon. Bought an extra bottle.”

 

He smirked and unsealed the bottle. As Lilian sat down, he took a swig from the bottle, causing the four humans at the table to gasp in horror. He downed half the bottle before finally spilling the rest over his breakfast. As he observed the others, you had your face in your hands and were groaning, Lilian had left the table to eat in the kitchen, Damian was shaking his head, and Marcus was watching with moderate interest.

 

Sans’ smirk grew. “What’s got ya, Marc?”

 

Marcus looked at him, determination set in his face. “I challenge you to a barbeque drinking contest.”

 

They smiled at each other and looked towards Lilian. “Mom, do we have bottles of barbeque sauce?”

 

She sighed loudly and searched the cupboard for the bottles. Finding a few extra bottles, she relented and brought them over to the dining table.

 

You grabbed Sans’ phone, to his surprise, and brought up the stopwatch. “Okay, you guys got a minute. Whoever drinks the most within that minute wins.” You pause before saying, “What does the winner get? The loser?”

 

Everyone stopped and thought for a moment before Damian snickered. All eyes, and eyelights, glanced at him.

 

“Perhaps the loser gets to do all the chores in the house for a day, while the winner gets to leave the house with another person, but it can’t be the loser.”

 

Everyone agreed, and bottles were opened. “Go!” You yelled as you started the timer.

 

Sans and Marcus began to chug, and were guzzling down the thick liquid at the same pace. The barbeque sauce was mild, but sweet. It would eventually get to one of them, though nobody was sure who would lose. At this rate, it would be incredibly close.

 

“Time’s up!” You yelled. Sans and Marcus immediately stopped drinking and Marcus began coughing. Sans smirked proudly and sat back against his chair, arms crossed. As the sauce settled, the table was cleared and cleaned. Once you measured the height of the liquid, the winner was decided.

 

It was Sans, hands down.

 

Marcus was crying from both the spices and from the realization that he would have to do all the chores in the house today. No free time, despite him missing school.

 

With that, Sans and you went outside and sat in the front yard. It was a chilly day, but it was sunny. You both sat in silence for some time, just listening to the sounds that surrounded you. That was broken as Sans got a phone call.

 

You groaned at him and pushed him away. Sans got up and glanced at the caller ID, finding it was Undyne.

 

“Hey.” He said as he answered.

 

“Howdy, Sans!” A deep and rough voice sounded. Asgore. Holy fuck.

 

Sans laughed. “Hey, Asgore. What’s up?”

 

“Grillby is driving at the moment but we were having trouble finding your house. We have been on the street for a while.” Sans’ eyes widened and he nonchalantly walked to the sidewalk, carefully making sure you didn’t catch him watching the street. Sans say a large truck coming from the right.

 

“I think I see you. We’re on the left about two blocks from you.”

 

“Ah, alrighty. Does Zenyth know anything?”

 

“Nope. She’s sitting outside. You want me to take her inside?”

 

“Yes. We would like her to answer the door, too, if that is possible.”

 

“Yep. There’s a beige car and a red SUV in the driveway. I’ll be inside.”

 

A few more words and Sans hung up. He hurriedly approached you. “Hey, wanna go inside? You look chilled to the bone.”

 

You glared at him. “Yea, well, the wind doesn’t go through me like it does you. But, yea, I could use some warming up.”

 

You both head inside just in time for the truck of monsters to locate the house.

 

* * *

 

 

The warmth of the house reaches you instantly and you sigh in relief. The chill outside wasn’t so bad, but sitting out there for the amount of time you did was sure to affect you. You sat on the couch while Sans headed off to the kitchen to get you a cup of coffee.

 

You watched him. You hadn’t realized before but he has a casual sway of his hips and a steady, straight gait. You smiled to yourself, not quite understanding how you could find a skeleton so interesting and…

 

You blushed. You hated using the word ‘sexy’ to describe things, but, well, Sans was definitely sexy.

 

A hearty knock to the front door caught your attention. You slowly stood up, stretched, and walked over. You could hear light voices from the other side. You weren’t expecting company today, and so were quite cautious as you slowly opened the door just to see out a crack.

 

You jumped back in surprise as the door slammed open and, with a squeak, were immediately crushed by a hug. The strong arms around you smelled of fish and sushi. You could barely breathe and your arms were pinned, and as you tried to pry yourself away from the bear hug, you heard Sans laughing his ass off behind you.

 

The arms finally released with a, “Hey Punk!”

 

You looked up towards the voice to find yourself staring at Undyne. She was much bigger than you imagined, and you could see her muscles rippling under her skin, or, scales.

 

“Hey, Undyne!”

 

You glanced behind her to find the large goat-monster, Asgore, and…

 

Your eyes widened. “Asgore, Grillby, hey!” You said as you stared at Grillby.

 

He was quite literally made of flames and the sound that came from him sounded just like a campfire. A brief second of blue flames crossed Grillby’s face, which Sans told you was his blush. Aw, Grillby was flustered!

 

You giggled at him, and welcomed them in. They all stopped and stared once they saw Sans, who was smiling sheepishly from the kitchen with your cup of coffee in his hand.

 

The few minutes the monsters spent staring at each other were tense, and you could tell Sans was getting quite uncomfortable, until Undyne practically roared.

 

“Holy shit, bonehead!” She yelled as she ran towards him. He barely had time to put your mug on the counter before being crushed in a hug, and a noogie, which was quickly stopped when her face scrunched up and she brought his face up between her hands. She stared at him for a few moments before the wide grin grew.

 

“You’re taller, too! Who knew a bonehead like you could actually look good!” Oh how he blushed at that.

 

A hearty and booming laugh sounded from your left, and as you turned your head, you noticed it came from Asgore. You glanced at Grillby, who looked extremely perplexed.

 

Asgore approached Undyne and Sans, and placed a hefty paw on Sans’ shoulder. A small conversation erupted between the three as you and Grillby watched.

 

You turned towards the campfire, catching him staring at you. His flames flickered and popped, and the shade of blue appeared and disappeared within a second.

 

You smiled softly at the campfire and said, “It’s nice to meet ya, Grillby.” You held out your hand to his surprise, and as he went to shake your hand you added, “You’re much hotter in person.”

 

His hand stopped as he looked up at you, his flames significantly higher than you’ve ever seen them. You hadn’t realized the conversation behind you had paused. You continued to hold your hand out to the campfire while a smug grin was plastered on your face. Sans was a master at puns, and though you didn’t like them, you liked the affect it had on people.

 

Grillby took his hand back and crossed his arms over his shoulders. You laughed as you said, “Aw, c’mon Grillby, don’t give me the cold shoulder!”

 

His flames flickered and popped more as he shook his head. You heard a huff come from him as he did so. “Sans has… been a bad… influence on you.”

 

You laughed. “Well, of course. The bonehead does a great job at that. Teaches me all sorts of rude things.”

 

Sans snorted.

 

You raised an eyebrow at Grillby. “Now, either shake me hand or I’m gonna hug you.”

 

His flames flickered and the blue actually stayed on his face for more than a few seconds. You took that opportunity to grab him. He made a weird sound that you couldn’t quite place, but he was squishy and warm. He actually felt like another human, with the addition of harmless flames. He seemed too shocked to react so you let him go.

 

Asgore and Undyne approached you yet again, and you gestured to the living room. At that moment, your parents came down the stairs and were frozen in surprise as they glanced at the three new monsters in the living room.

 

Introductions were underway and plans were set. Casual conversation lasted until about noon, and that’s when the moving actually began. You began packing your clothing, bedding, and objects like books, electronics, and fragile items. Sans began packing your clothes and helped out with moving some of the furniture since he could use his powers. Undyne and Asgore moved the biggest furniture and electronics, while Grillby helped out with organization so that everything fit perfectly within the boxes. In the small amount of time you had known these monsters, you were beginning to figure them out.

 

Undyne was wild, reckless, passionate, and friendly. Although she obviously thought that friendship came with some form of violence, you absolutely loved her. When she spotted your Xbox, she immediately challenged you to a game, despite the fact that you really needed to pack and that the television was already in the moving truck. Well, setting up in the living room was allowed, and she chose to challenge you at Halo. Oh how she screamed at a 50-12 loss.

 

Asgore was a big softie, taking care in that glass items were properly wrapped, making sure he didn’t touch personal items, and enforcing breaks every hour. Him and Undyne were great buddies, you found out. Undyne pretty much denied the existence of breaks and would challenge him to a small spar. He won every time, even though he never fought back. When he spoke to your mother, he was nothing but respectful. No wonder he was the King.

 

Then there was Grillby. You were really beginning to like him, but there was one thing about him you could do without, and that was his incessant need for organization. It began when you were throwing books into a box, trying to make sure they all fit. He grabbed the box, flipped it over, and started organizing the books by alphabetical order, and only then did he begin placing them, again in alphabetical order, in the box. Any piece of glass or plastic that was going to be packed had to be cleaned first.

 

It was around 6 P.M. when the energy had died down and everything in your room was in a truck. The monsters were going to head out tonight with your things and you were going to follow. Sans insisted on driving until morning, and the argument you put up became irrelevant when he mentioned something about monsters having night vision.

 

Asgore discussed the living arrangements that were made, stating that the Royal Estate was large enough to hold his group of family, friends, and many guests. They had emptied a guest room for you, which was located on the second floor, across from Undyne and Alphys’s room. He went on to explain the wings of the Estate, saying that east was where your room was, north was for him and Toriel, as well as Frisk, and the west was for Papyrus and Mettaton. Sans made a small grunt of disgust at the latter’s name, and so you made a mental note to inquire later. You had heard of everyone but Mettaton, and assuming from Sans’ reaction, Sans didn’t tell you on purpose.

 

The back of the Estate included a large swimming pool, a Sauna, and an incredibly sized garden. Asgore made careful to mention that a part of the garden was closed-off to humans, and could only go if accompanied by a monster. You asked, but he avoided answering and continued. Toriel would do most of the cooking, and would only ask for help. If you took up cooking yourself, Toriel would take that as an immediate challenge to her abilities. Lilian laughed at that, saying she’d challenge Toriel anyway.

 

Grillby had remained strangely silent. He wasn’t listed as a tenant at the Estate, so maybe he lived away from them. You inquired, and he spoke slowly that he owned a bar, and so, lived above it. He explained his bar was rather simple, only having two food items on the menu, a supply of alcohol, and was mainly a hang-out spot for monsters. Sans spoke up then, saying the atmosphere was homey feeling and that it was comfortable to just sit there for hours. Undyne scoffed, mentioning his drinking problem with ketchup, to which he shrugged.

 

“That’s why Grillbz always orders extra.” He had said.

 

Lilian made dinner, which was her famous spaghetti since she almost always made enough for leftovers. Undyne screamed at the sight of spaghetti and tore into it. Asgore ate delicately, though after a while, he too, was scarfing it down. Grillby ate slowly but his flames were bright and waving slowly, so you assumed he enjoyed it.

 

Dinner was devoured and what little leftovers were left went to Undyne, and insisted that Lilian give her the recipe. Soon afterwards, everyone was starting to say goodbye and you knew you would be leaving your family soon, not to see them again for several weeks or months. Tears were shed, crushing hugs were received, and before you knew it, you were le-

 

Or so you thought until you remembered one thing. Sushi.

 

You quickly asked Asgore if he would be okay with you bringing an animal, and the question mark practically hung over his head like a light bulb. You ran through the house, attempting to locate the old feline, when you found her relaxing in the empty expanse that was your room. Picking her up, she whined, but eventually gave up and relaxed. You trudged down the stairs, heavy feline in your arms, and went up to Asgore. He gasped and reached a large paw to her, which she promptly sniffed at. He smiled and said he’d be delighted to have her come along.

 

Sushi was shoved into a carrier and placed in the car. Your teary farewells continued until your car left the driveway, following the large moving truck that was full of your stuff. You continued to softly cry as you passed Sans’ old home, and eventually the sign signaling that you were now in Oklahoma swept by.

 

As you saw the sign, a sound escaped you. Sans immediately grabbed your hand and squeezed, though still keeping his gaze on the road. You looked over and couldn’t help but smile at the blushing skeleton that had chosen you. Relief flooded through you, and you smiled the entire way to Washington.

 

As you approached an unfamiliar door and knocked, you never knew how happy you would be to have so many monsters rush out and tackle you to the ground.


	17. Beginning of a New Life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heehee ;)
> 
> So Frisk's signs and her communication will be marked with -- 
> 
> Also, tell me if you like this format better, or that of the other chapters. I'm... experimenting.

In an instant, you had a blanket of monsters running for you. They hit you quickly and you fell to the ground. Each and every person around blew up in a fit of giggles, squeaks, guffaws, and words you couldn’t quite make out. From behind you, the four monsters that had accompanied you on the trip were laughing their asses off, though of course, Grillby was just crackles and pops, but much more animated than usual. Sans was slightly hidden and you could of sworn you saw fear in his eyes. 

Finally the heavy and furry blanket was released from upon you and you were dragged up by a heavy paw. At first you thought that Asgore was there, but once you looked up, you were looking at a pair of delicate eyes and pristine white fur. 

Tori? 

Tori!!

You squealed and jumped and quickly embraced her in a hug, to which she returned, giggling. “My child, it is so wonderful to meet you!” Her voice was much different than it was over Skype, and you couldn’t help but melt at hearing it. Tears welled into your eyes and threatened to spill, but Toriel quickly noticed and lifted a paw to wipe them away. “No need for these, Zenyth.” 

You laughed, “Happy tears, Tori, happy tears.”

“HUMAN!” Your eyes widened at the voice, instantly recognizing Papyrus’s boisterous and nasally sound, but again, it sounded different; much clearer and much louder. 

You looked around to find him, and found him standing a ways off but his posture was ready to pounce you. He was definitely a cinnamon roll. You opened your arms and laughed. “Well, c’mon, you!” He squealed and bounded over. In just two strides you were picked up by the freakishly tall skeleton and squeezed of all air. You were faintly aware of being spun in circles. 

Greetings commenced before finally turning towards the moving truck. You realized that Sans was nowhere to be found. As the other monsters began to unload, you searched around. Not finding him anywhere near the truck, you went back to your car and found him huddled down in the front seat, out of view. Opening the drivers side door, he jumped but did not look up. Quietly placing yourself in the seat, you shut the door and placed a hand on his shoulder, finding him to be trembling. 

“Sans, I know. But please, you can only solve the issues by facing them head on. Your brother wants to see you just as much as you do. Toriel will probably hug you until you grow lungs just for them to burst.” 

He snorted and his trembling calmed down just a bit. You were going to have to take drastic measures to get him to calm down. You smirked and reached your hand over and caressed his cheekbone, forcing him to finally look at you. You leaned forward, looking directly into his eye sockets. The yellow blush was growing rapidly and he was starting to sweat out of sheer nervousness. You had closed in so far that your nose was touching the spot where his would be. Heat radiated from his face and the electric feel of his magic tickled your face. You were just about to kiss him when a smug grin suddenly crossed his face, and you saw something yellow flash behind his teeth. Before you could pull away, a glossy, and slimy, yellow tongue licked your face. 

You squealed and recoiled, but were held in place by a strong and boney arm. His laugh whispered against your neck as he held you. 

“Sans, c’mon.” He nodded and you both exited the vehicle. You opened the back door and retrieved the cat carrier that held Sushi. As you walked towards Sans, who was patiently waiting a few yards away, you held out your free hand, and he took it in his. Fingers locked, he stole your courage as you both walked to the front door of the monsters’ Estate. 

Upon entry, Sans stood in awe. The chandelier above the foyer was a beautiful piece of art. It was designed as an upside down tree, with glowing buds. The staircase in front of you split in two, both leading up to an overlook and to the second floor rooms. To the left was an open room with a grand piano, and to the right was the large living room, housing many different forms of seating, as well as the monster family. They were chatting among themselves and did not notice either of you standing in the rounded doorway. Sans’ hand gripped yours tighter, causing you to look up to him and see the fear in his eyes. His eyes were locked on Toriel and Papyrus. 

Knowing he wouldn’t make any moves towards them and would rather sink into the floor, you cleared your throat. He jumped and glared at you, but it had the desired effect. Toriel finally looked up to you and smiled, but it faltered upon seeing Sans. She stood slowly, her hands wringing together nervously in front of her. Papyrus was not so calm. He stood up with an energy you couldn’t imagine and walked up to Sans, though stayed a comfortable distance away. Sans looked down and hunched his shoulders, while Papyrus looked… concerned? 

“Sans?” The younger skeleton spoke so quietly that his voice cracked. Sans twitched, but that was his only response. You squeezed his hand, trying to reassure him, but he instead took it and put it in his jacket. You glared and proceeded to punch his arm, hard. 

“Sans. C’mon.” He shook his head, not daring to look up at the lanky skeleton in front of him. Papyrus’s face fell and he was about to walk away when you grabbed his arm. You mouthed ‘hug him’ at the taller skeleton and his eyes widened in response. He nodded and quickly approached his brother and embraced him. Sans tensed incredibly, as the air around you got thick and started to smell of sulfur, but soon, you could see him visibly relax, going limp in his younger brothers arms. His shoulders shook and you knew he was crying, as did Papyrus. He was crying as well, but held Sans tighter as the emotions that were held in finally released. While the brothers had their moment, you made your way to the rest of the monsters, and were quickly tackled by Frisk. She was taller than you thought, being about your height, but her face still had a childish appearance. You smiled at her and she returned it, hugging you tightly. 

At that moment you started smelling something delicious. A ding went off from further back and Toriel quickly rushed off towards it. Your mouth began to water at the thought of eating Toriel’s food. 

Frisk signed something to you, and you had been practicing a little, but not enough to where you had understood. You shook your head, letting her know, and she quickly grabbed a notepad and pencil. Scribbling quickly, she handed it you. 

\--Is Sans gonna be okay?

You smiled and nodded at her. “Just give him some time, Frisk. He’s gonna be in a funk for a while, but I’m sure you’ll be there for him, too, won’t you?” 

Her broad smile and heavy nod made your smile grow. Her attention was drawn as Toriel spoke up and let everyone know that dinner was ready and at the table. Everyone but you, Sans, and Papyrus quickly rushed off. You turned towards the brothers who had not budged an inch, still held in an embrace. You slowly walked over to them and tapped Papyrus on the arm. He glanced at you over his shoulder and raised an eyebrow. 

“Toriel said dinner is ready. You guys should eat.” He nodded and attempted to release Sans, though the effort was futile as Sans wrapped his arms around Papyrus’s spine. A soft chuckle erupted from Papyrus, and he patted Sans on the head. “Sans, let us go eat! We can talk later, if you would like.” 

Sans nodded, but made no effort to release his brother. You sighed, knowing why. “Sans, we’re here now. He’s not going anywhere, and neither are we.” You placed your forehead against his temple and breathed against him. “So, c’mon. You and I have been dying to eat Tori’s food, and I’m not gonna miss this chance. I’ll drag you if I have to.” 

He snorted and finally looked up, his eyelights hazy and warbling from the amount of crying he had done and emotion that ran through him. You giggled. “You look really adorable right now.” He blushed and shoved his face back into Papyrus’s clothing, or rather, armor, and grumbled. Papyrus began to waddle towards the kitchen, Sans still cradled against him. You held up a finger, asking him to wait a moment, and you quickly licked Sans’ right cheek, causing him to squeak and immediately shoot up, looking to you with a face saying ‘you’re gonna get it.’ 

You ran towards the kitchen and were in the view of Toriel, who looked up questioningly as Sans came running in behind you. He grabbed you from behind and had his yellow tongue manifested to lick you in revenge when Toriel gave him what you thought was the best death stare you’d ever seen. His tongue receded into his mouth and a sheepish and embarrassed grin replaced it. 

She raised her eyebrow at the both of you. “Sit down, children. Eat what I have prepared, as we have much to discuss afterwards.” 

The way she emphasized the word ‘much’ made you nervous. She would definitely ask questions of Sans, possible personal question, and she would definitely want to know more of the attack. Either way, you set the thoughts back in your mind and focused on dinner and talking with the new family you had found. 

 

Dinner came to an end, and the lighthearted conversations quickly became tense and serious. The mood became dim as the table was cleaned off and dishes were washed. You and Sans were instructed to sit in the living room and await what was to come. 

Sans watched you as they sat in silence. You were gripping his hand and were lightly shaking, though you had told him before this was due to nerves and not really being scared. Sans first watched this when you were playing an online game with friends, when you would start shaking for no reason except being too focused on the task. You knew how to do the task well, but every time you would do it, the same thing occurred. It was kind of cute, though he could see your slight distress when it would happen. 

Your face, even now, tried to hide that distress. You weren’t really frightened of telling them, you were just nervous about what they would say, same as Sans. You were both nervous about the outcome of this talk. Sans knew he would have to speak of the incident, and you would have to talk about how you met with him and the violence that occurred to finally make you move. 

Slowly, the other monsters began to file into the living room, taking seats that were facing you both, but at a distance. Papyrus was quiet, and sat next to Frisk. Undyne sat next to Alphys, and eventually, Toriel made her way to sit next to Asgore. Sans noticed that Mettaton wasn’t present, and was secretly glad. He didn’t want to put up with the flamboyant calculator right now. 

The first to speak was Toriel. “Sans, Zenyth, I understand if you both are nervous. We would just like for some of our questions to be answered.” She takes a moment to gather her thoughts, and takes a deep breath. “We did not expect to see Sans alive, so when Zenyth insisted on a video call, we were… quite skeptical as to her reason. Why would a human, whom we have never met, want to call us? We reacted in such a way that was… We understand we overreacted.” 

You shook your head. “No, Tori, you didn’t. Sans and I talked about it for a while and we completely understand your reactions. We are nervous, but not about the same reasons that you think we are. Our answers might anger you guys, but…” You furrowed your brow, forgetting where you were going with what you were saying. 

Sans chuckled and continued for you. “What Zen is saying is that we have answers, but you’re probably not gonna like ‘em. We’re nervous cause we don’t know how you guys’re gonna react. We’re nervous about the outcome of this conversation.” 

“Sans, Toriel and I have agreed to let you stay. We would not throw you out simply because you have answered our questions truthfully.” Asgore said. You noticed his hefty paw was covering Toriel’s, as she seemed a bit fidgety. 

You huffed a laugh. “Asgore, I know, but my insecurities are still present. No matter what you say now will ease me, and I think that may have leaked over to Sans. I’ll continue to question you until my brain says it’s finally okay.” 

His eyes turned sad, but nodded. 

“So, S-Sans, what happened at th-the college? We know a b-bit of what happened, but no-nothing more.” Alphys inquired, looking directly at Sans. 

His mouth was pressed into a hard line, and you squeezed his hand reassuringly. He looked to you and smiled as you did so.

“I was, uh, I was on the second floor of the building, instructing some of the students on how the lab procedure worked. Alphys, remember the workshop that you, me, and Gaster went to?” She nodded. “Well, I was teaching the students about the new safety procedures when the alarm in the building went off. Some of the students started running out of safety exits while I went to check. I met up with Gaster next to the locker room, in the room where the generator was, and… and watched it explode.” 

This was news to you as much as it was to the other monsters. He had said once that there were a lot of things he wished not to speak of because of bad memories. You never inquired since you also had things you didn’t want to speak about. 

“What… What happened then?” Alphys spoke up again, her stutter no longer present. 

“Well, when I woke up I was dazed. All I could see was fire and smoke, and… several bodies. I saw a bit of Gaster’s goop around me but it didn’t connect until the next day or so. Anyway, I went around the corner to the locker room, saw myself in a mirror, and just ran. Again I didn’t know why, but I did. I had some money in my wallet so I bought a motorcycle and just…” He trailed off, unable to continue. A few of the monsters nodded, showing him he didn’t need to speak anymore. 

“Now, Zenyth, I must ask more about the violence that aided in you coming here. What kind of violence was it, and what happened?” 

You sighed. Here we go. 

“It was gang violence, as in a monster hate gang. The first month that Sans had worked at the local convenience store wasn’t so bad until a group of four guys tried to corner him. I was called to pick him up from work, and when I did, they met us outside. It ended up being my ex so simply wanted to ‘keep me safe’ from Sans. They continued hounding us for months, targeted Sans while he…” You turned to glare at him, and he shrunk into his hoodie. “While he walked home. He got shot and the bullet went through one of his ribs. A couple weeks later and they attacked my friend and I at work, near closing time. About fifteen guys started kicking me, yelling at me, and I’m pretty sure were gonna do some other things if the police hadn’t come.” You smirked and lightly giggled. “I kinda pissed them off more, trying to distract them from leaving or getting Destiny.”

Undyne’s smirk was aimed towards you. “Wow, punk, egged them on while being beaten to a pulp? Hardcore.” 

Toriel turned sharply towards her and glared. “Undyne, now?” 

Her smirk turned into a sheepish smile and you heard her mumble a ‘sorry’. 

Toriel turned towards you once again. “Zenyth, there is also the matter of your soul. I ask that I see it to determine if you have gained any of… Sans’ abilities.” 

“Wait what?” You asked, mouth agape, eyebrows furrowed. 

“It is possible for a monster to inherit the abilities of another monster for a short time. I want to see if the same has happened with you.”

“Tori, we can do that later.” Sans interjected. His face was stone, piercing eyes staring directly at Toriel. 

The tension was beginning to grow thick as the two monsters stared at each other, and you were sure unpleasant words would be shared between them, until Frisk caught everyone’s attention and began to sign. She had so many questions, but at least they could all be answered. 

Everyone had questions. So many questions. You and Sans tried to answer as many as you could, about your family, your life, your cat, who had made a bed on Asgore’s lap and purred constantly, and what you were doing with life. You, in turn, had questions for them, mainly about the area, what it is that everyone did, and eventually, how you and Sans could contribute. Sans refused to approach the college, and Alphys agreed that he shouldn’t go back for some time, so Toriel suggested a janitorial job and her school. He accepted it quickly and would work the coming week. As for you, you were a bit complicated. You had college to pay for and you still wanted to send your parents some money since they lost your income. 

Frisk snickered at your dilemma. Everyone turned towards them, with Toriel’s perfected mother-glare making the most impression on the poor kid. She signed to the monsters, and you kind of felt bad that you couldn’t understand more than a few words and letters. Sans leaned over to you then. 

“Frisk says that Grillby already hired you.” 

Your eyes widened almost to the size of Sans’ eye sockets. “What?” You breathed. 

Frisk couldn’t keep from giggling but was still able to sign. Sans watched with interest, and when Frisk finished, everyone in the room erupted with laughter, leaving you deeply confused, and faintly embarrassed. 

Sans elbowed you and spoke again. “Apparently you made an impression on Grillby.” 

You looked at the monsters, not seeing the campfire around, until you heard a puff from behind you. You turned and found Grillby standing off a ways in the arch of the doorway. His flames were about normal as he watched you. You cocked an eyebrow in his direction, but he remained. 

Your face settled in a straight-faced glare as he remained un-moving. “Alright, campfire. What does Frisk mean?” 

He bristled at the nickname, a few pops erupting from him as you smirked. It was kind of funny getting reactions out of him, you had to admit. He finally relented and walked over to you. 

“You have… a certain charisma… about you… and I figured… you would… need a job.” 

Charisma? Really? You weren’t much of a people person, but maybe it was monsters that you had a much easier time opening up to. That would certainly explain your friendship with Sans and Toriel. You faintly remember that Grillby owned a bar, and realized you knew nothing about the food industry besides cooking for friends and family at home. 

“Uh, what would I do, though?” 

“I was… thinking about you… being a waitress… or a bartender…” You felt Sans twitch and immediately looked into his direction, finding him looking at Grillby with wide eyes. 

“Wait, you serious?” He asked. 

Grillby nodded. You held back a giggle as the flames on his head bounced along with him. “I am in… need of help… It is no longer… a bar for… just monsters… There are many humans… who have become… regulars.” 

He looked in your direction, flames swaying a bit more. “I can… teach you some… things.” 

Your smile was huge and you squeaked and bounded up off the couch to hug the campfire. This was only the second time you had hugged him, but at least he prepared himself. A rumble passed through his chest as one of his arms wrapped around you in a half-embrace. You backed off, smile still spread across your face, and looked into his glasses.

“Did I ever tell you how awesome you are?” 

A puff of smoke, a few pops, and a flash a blue made your smile grow mischievous. Sans must of caught Grillby’s sudden embarrassment, as he took this opportunity to be himself. 

“Aw, Grillbz, don’t tell me Zen has you all hot and bothered.” He said, his half smile plastered on his face. 

Multiple groans sounded from the other monsters and Grillby’s body, not just his face, flickered with blue flames. The campfire quickly looked away, as if that was going to hide it. You laughed and hugged him again. 

As the night drew to a close, the other monsters went to their respective rooms, Frisk went to bed, and Grillby left to go home. Toriel followed you and Sans up to your bedroom. You remembered that Sans had yet to see the room, and as he walked in, stopped and stood in awe. 

The room was large. Your bed was centered at the back wall, with a bed stand on either side. Your bookshelves were settled in the front right corner of the room, with a carpet and a few beanbags in front, making up your reading space. On the other side was your desk and laptop. Your dresser was inside the walk-in closet on the left side, while the bathroom was on the right. 

“Children, may we continue?” Toriel’s voice cut through your thoughts and startled Sans out of his, forcing you to realize what was about to happen. Toriel was going to look at your soul. You had no idea what she would do, what she wanted to prove, or even what she meant by the sharing of magic. 

You sat on your bed and faced Toriel, where she stood in front of you, and Sans stood to her side. “Sans, could you bring out her soul?” 

He placed his hand in the center of your chest, right on your sternum, and looked at you, making sure you were okay. You nodded and started feeling a familiar warmth spread across you, a pressure, and eventually lost all color in your vision. Your beautiful soul was floating in front of you, the yellow magic still surrounding it. Toriel’s great paws swept underneath it and brought it closer to herself, making carefully sure that she did not come in contact with it. 

You realized that the yellow magic had filled in the shallow crack in your soul. Was that normal?

Toriel seemed to notice as well, as she gasped and glanced to Sans. “You have healed her soul, Sans. Your magic is not…” She trailed off, her thoughts ceasing as your soul pulsed in her hands. It continued to pulse for a few moments, and you were just beginning to wonder what was the reason, when the feeling hit you hard. 

It was pulsing with a feeling of suffocation, a feeling of being torn. Your hearing filled with static, your vision turned black, and you passed out seeing your soul shoot back inside you and the two monsters reaching for you. 

Static was the only thing you could feel.


	18. Skele-Puns

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I suck at creating and making puns. Wanna help me out? I need, like, a skele-ton more. 
> 
> Heh.
> 
> ~So uh, I'm still getting used to the HTML editing and I realize I made a few mistakes before checking it was okay. Fixed them now, grr. Let me know if there are any more errors and I'll fix them as soon as I'm able.~

You didn’t realize that static, the sound, could actually have a feel. It wasn’t like the static you received when you had socks on carpet, like when your hair stuck to a balloon. This static, that you could also hear, clung to you in suffocating ways. It prickled against your skin, edging on uncomfortable, and swept from your toes to the tip of your head in sweeping waves. You were faintly aware that no matter if your eyes were open or closed, the darkness was the same. 

Confusion fluttered through your mind and you attempted to move, and upon noticing you were on a solid surface, attempted to stand up. That failed immediately as your senses were cut off. You were starting to panic, and the thought that you might have died fought for dominance. 

You did not die, I can assure you.

Fear assaulted you as you quickly turned towards the voice. In its place was nothing but blackness. Who the hell was that? 

I am nobody you know, my dear, but you have heard of me.

Where are you? You thought. The darkness around you could read your mind, so you felt no need to talk. The voice was deep, very deep, rough, and melodic. You realized that the voice actually made you relax, when it didn’t surprise you to hear it. 

I am everywhere and nowhere.

_‘…Cryptic. Got it. So, can I see you?’_

If that is what you wish.

_‘It is.’_

Just then the darkness in front of you seemed to… get darker. Dark, darker, yet darker. You had never seen the colorless expanse in front of you, and it began to terrify you. Nothing should be that dark, as it looked like it could swallow anything made of light and let nothing out. Humans had grown up to fear space, and you knew enough that this was similar to what was called a black hole. 

You backed away in growing fear, attempting to get as far away from the dark void in front of you as a white face appeared from within it. Your eyes widened at the resemblance between this… thing… and Sans. 

Your mind made an audible click as you realized who stood in front of you. 

_‘Gaster…?’_

Ah, so you do know my name. Do you know who I was? How I became this?

_‘Not… quite. I know about the accident and what Sans has told me. Something involving ‘Dust Fusion’?’_

That is the working theory, yes, though I am not made of the same magic as other monsters. While they turn to dust, I simply… dissolve.

_‘Yea, Sans mentions your matter as ‘goop’.’_

A noise that sounded of static pops and a deep rumble sounded through the expanse. You watched the man’s shoulders bounce up and down in laughter. 

Sans certainly has a way of putting things. But, alas, that is why I believe the Dust Fusion worked without the consent of either of us.

_‘I suppose that makes sense. Either way, why did you call me here, and where exactly is… here?’_

We are in the expanse known as the Void. After the incident at the University, my conscious was thrown here, as was my full body. Sans seems to have withheld some of the Dust Fusion’s transformation, though I am not part of him. We will have to find another way to… bring me back.

His specter looked up to you then, his eye sockets had faint white lights in them, and his face was soft, with an edge to it. Bordering on creepy, but in fact, you thought the man was also kind of cute in his own way. 

He blubbered at your thought, a purple hue crossing his cheekbones. Your smile appeared then, wide and true. 

My dear, our link is closing. Cease those thoughts for just a moment, please?

You giggled and nodded, which seemed to pacify him for a moment as he gathered himself once again. 

I ask that you let Sans know that I will have conversations with the both of you, as often as I am able to. I would like to figure out how to solve this rather vexing issue.

_‘I’ll let him know. Is there anything you would like me to tell anyone else?’_

His face saddened as he looked away. You could see his chest rising and falling in an uneven rhythm. His hands, which you noticed had giant holes in the palms, wrung together in front of him, making gestures you knew to be sign language, though again, you couldn’t understand it. Looking back to his face, you could tell he was distressed, and was contemplating the choice you gave him. You knew who he wanted to talk to, but that would cause his living mate significant pain. 

It is not just that, my dear. He does not know of the… situation in its entirety.

_‘Sans and I kind of explained it tonight. He understands a bit.’_

Then… talk with Sans first, see if it is wise.

_‘Can you leave me something to show Grillby that I actually did talk with you?’_

He smiled, his face scrunching at the motion. 

Mention this: Illaria Beach. He will understand.

_‘Alright. I’m glad to have met you, Gaster.’_

And I, you, my dear. I bid you farewell. May we speak again.

 

You slowly awoke, finding the room around you bright. You were nestled in the blankets upon your bed. Too warm. With a grunt, you shoved the blankets off of you with such ferocity that it startled the monsters that were in the room with you. You looked over towards the gasps and found Toriel, Sans, and Alphys all staring at you. When did Alphys get in here?

“Oh thank gods.” Sans breathed a sigh of relief and his shoulders slumped. 

Toriel and Alphys walked up to you, and Toriel placed her paw on your forehead. 

“Zenyth, are you alright?” She asked while looking you over gently. You nodded, but Alphys seemed unconvinced. You smiled as gracefully as you could manage in her direction, only to have her raise an eyebrow and waddle away. 

“Tori, I need to speak with Sans and Alphys, uh, alone. Something… came up.” You tried to make your words sound like you weren’t wanting to shove her away, and thankfully Toriel, the sweetheart, understood. 

“Alright. If you need anything more, you know where I will be.” With that, she walked towards your door and closed it behind her. Padded footsteps faded and you looked towards the two that remained. 

“So, what’s up?” Sans asked, trying, and failing, to mask his nervousness. 

You looked down at your hands. “Gaster spoke with me.” 

Alphys gasped and covered her mouth while Sans’s eyes widened and he started to sweat. A nervous chuckle came from him at your statement. 

“Uh, what’re you talking about, Zen?” 

You glared at him. “You know what exactly I’m talking about. He says that the Dust Fusion probably happened cause he isn’t made of the same stuff as you guys, so it bypassed the… consent part. Said he’s stuck in a place called the Void and he needs our help to get him out.” 

Alphys was stunned into silence, as was Sans, though his face had the expression of someone who had just found out a loved one died. His breathing was beginning to pick up and you knew he was slipping into panic mode. You hopped off the bed and rushed to embrace him in a tight hug. He returned it, just as tightly. 

“Sans, it’s okay. We’ll find a way. We’ll get him back.” 

He said nothing. Alphys remained silent, though she was now looking you over, possibly for wounds you knew you didn’t have. You were about to say you were fine when she gasped and tugged on Sans’s arm. He looked over with one eye and Alphys pointed to me with a shaking finger. 

His brow furrowed and he backed up from your hold just a bit to look directly at your chest. His eyes widened and he looked you directly in the eyes. 

“Well, now I know you’re not lyin’.” 

 

The night passed slowly, with Alphys and Sans explaining the Void and possible plans to get Gaster back. They would have to visit the Core once again, they said, and attempt to reverse engineer it to do something you couldn’t understand and actually stopped paying attention to. You let them have their nerd moment together while you zoned out and remembered what Gaster had said. 

Illaria Beach. 

You had no clue where that was, and as you looked it up on your laptop, it couldn’t find anything related to it. Question mark? He said Grillby would know, so you hoped that when you saw him next that you would get the chance to ask him about it. Eventually Alphys left and allowed you to curl up in bed, Sans not far behind, crawling into the other side. It was your first night in this new house, surrounded by monsters who had accepted you and Sans so quickly and so genuinely that you hadn’t had the time to really let it sink in. 

Now that Sans and you were alone, lying next to each other in silence, you looked into each others eyes and just let your thoughts wander. You couldn’t believe all of this happened. You wish it were under better circumstances, but oh well. Sans’s expression caught your attention as he frowned and removed his gaze from yours. You shuffled closer and his arms wrapped around you and brought you closer. He breathed in deep against your neck, relaxing himself. 

A memory appeared in your mind then, about the last time you sang to Sans. You remembered how much it had relaxed him. You began to think of another song to sing, one you thought would cheer him up and relax him enough to let him sleep. You turned over quickly, reaching for your phone, gaining protesting groans from the skeleton next to you. 

Once you had it, you started flipping the storage of songs, attempting to find the one you thought would be perfect. You found the perfect one and preparing yourself to sing, pressed play. 

Sans watched you steal yourself as you pressed a button on your phone. He knew exactly what you were doing, and smiled. He’d love the same song from long ago, but you probably had something better. You were always introducing him to new music and already picked out a few favorites. You’d sing anything you could, no matter if it was a male singer, female singer, or chorus, hell, you’d even hum and sing the backup instruments. 

_“These fleeting charms of Earth. Farewell, your springs of joy are dry.”_

Well, here’s one he’s never heard. It sounded different than what you normally listened to, but he shouldn’t be surprised at your random music selection by this point. 

_“My soul now seeks another home, a brighter world on high.”_

His eyes widened, and he began to realize why you chose it. He didn’t know the lyrics so he didn’t want to continue assuming. He attempted to silence his thoughts so he could listen to you. 

_“I’m a long time traveling here below, I’m a long time traveling away from home.”_

This song, Sans thought, was too perfect for their situation. 

_“I’m a long time traveling here below, to lay this body down.”_

It got morbid quick, but it was still a beautiful song, even more so as you sang it to him. 

_“Farewell kind friends whose tender care, has long engaged my love.”_

He smiled, a small one but completely genuine and full of affection. 

_“Your fond embrace I now exchange, for better friends above.”_

You stopped singing at the chorus, but it was more than enough. Sans was calm enough that his eyes were beginning to droop. You stopped the music, tapped a few things on your phone, and suddenly were trapped within a sound barrier of rain and thunder. He raised his eyebrow and you turned your phone around. Oh, it was the rain app she liked. He nodded at you and you set the phone back onto your bed stand. 

Turning to him, he wrapped his arms around you once more and you both fell into a deep and dreamless sleep. 

 

Morning comes and you were assaulted with the smell of something delicious, though you couldn’t make out what it was. You stirred and stretched, slowly opening your eyes to see the sleeping skeleton beside you. He was still entangled with you, but a little loser, thank the gods for your fleshy limbs. Your right arm was numb, pinned underneath him. He looked peaceful, though you slightly giggled at the sight of the drool that sat on his chin. 

You caressed his cheek and ran a thumb over it, attempting to rouse him awake. He made a small groan and settled further into the pillow. You smirked and moved your left hand slowly towards his ribcage, aiming for the second to last rib. You knew that one was ticklish. 

Your hand gripped the rib and started stroking it, causing more groans and grumbles to erupt from him. A smile cracked your face as you then scratched your nails along the inside edge. He gasped awake and attempted to grab your wrist when you quickly moved your weight to pin him down and continued your assault. He was laughing and tears started to collect at the edges of his closed eye sockets. 

Apparently the noise had alerted some of the other monsters as the door slowly opened, revealing a very concerned Papyrus. You and Sans had not yet noticed, even as he slowly walked over to Sans’ side of the bed. 

Sans gasped at seeing his brother. “Pap! Uh…” 

Panic. “Papyrus!” 

You stopped your assault, to Sans’s relief, and he fell slack against the sheets and pillow. He was breathing heavily, attempting to gain back the breath that you stole. 

Papyrus, the poor thing, couldn’t find the words to express himself, or rather, to even explain what he was doing until Sans had calmed down enough to breathe normally. Until Sans reassured him with a nod, he was silent. 

“Brother, human, what…?” He had come rushing from the living room when he had heard his brother in distress. Papyrus was beginning to shake, both you and Sans noticed this, and immediately began trying to reassure him. 

“Pap, no, it wasn’t anything bad, I promise. Zen wouldn’t hurt me.” Papyrus shook his head, letting him know that’s not what he thought. 

“I thought you… I thought you were…” 

You quickly hugged the taller skeleton as much as you could, given your position on the other side of the bed, and that Sans’s legs were acting as a small barrier. Papyrus was startled at your sudden move, but slowly melted into the embrace, eventually returning it. You knew what was going on in the poor guys head, as you knew the feeling of loss all too well. Losing someone, of course, was way different than losing someone, gaining them back, only to watch them die shortly after their return. You made a quick glance towards Sans, and thankfully, he understood. He got up off the bed and hugged Papyrus as well. 

“I’m not leaving Pap, never again. I’m here now. I might be different but I’m… I’m still your lazy-ass, numbskulled bro.” 

A chuckle came from Papyrus, causing you too look at him and smile. An orange light dusted his cheekbones and there were orange tears in his eyes. You reached up and wiped the tears away, making him smile. 

“Sans, it has been nearly a year and your puns have not gotten any more humerus.” 

Sans jerked backwards, eyes wide and brow furrowed, to look at his brother. In turn, Papyrus looked towards Sans with a sly grin. 

“Bro. Did you…?” Sans asked, confusion fully masking his voice, but in an instant it was gone, only to be replaced by a huge smile. 

You had never seen Sans so happy. 

He quite literally jumped into his brothers’ arms, his legs wrapped around Papyrus’s waist, swaying side to side. This was the first time you got to hear Papyrus laugh, and it was fucking ridiculous. What was the ‘nyeh-heh’ all about? Either way, you backed off and let the brothers have another moment. Each monster kept surprising you, yet you thought you learned it all with your skeletal boyfriend. Him actually jumping around and tossing himself was new, as he pretty much liked to keep his feet on the ground and refused to put in any effort to moving faster than a walking pace. 

A knock sounded at the door, and you headed over to open it, revealing Toriel on the other side. She gave you a kind smile, but her eyes were questioning. You let her in and made a sweeping motion towards the brothers. At the sight, she let out a small giggle and approached them, enveloping them in a large and furry embrace. The brothers jumped at the sudden contact and you could make out the faint orange and yellow light from their blush. Sans dropped to the floor and lowered his face in embarrassment while Papyrus chided Toriel on surprising him. 

“My dear, I did not mean to.” She said, though she couldn’t stop giggling. “I simply came in to let the two of you know that I have made a… pa-pie-rus.” 

Papyrus screamed. “I AM DONE WITH ALL OF YOU. I AM LEAVING.” He bounded out the door and, though the three left in the room were laughing, you could make out the faint giggle that he let out as he walked down the hallway. 

 

It was a few hours later when everyone was separated, doing their daily duties including school, jobs, and extracurricular activities. You and Sans were the only ones home and started to feel highly uncomfortable with being in the large house alone. You decided it would be a good idea to visit Grillby’s for the first time, as you were basically hired already. Might as well get a start in learning the layout of his bar and learn whatever he needed you to. Sans agreed instantly, stating something about ‘needing a burg’. 

You let him drive the car, as he was familiar with the town. You watched out the windows, trying to memorize the layout of the town. It wasn’t too hard, seeing as it was a little town with very few stoplights. The amount of monsters that you saw was staggering, and even though you knew you shouldn’t be surprised, you couldn’t help but looking over each and every monster that you passed. They mostly resembled animals and plants that you were familiar with, but others weren’t so recognizable. You turned a corner and saw a blob… a moving, gooey blob. 

Sans pulled into a parking lot and you finally turned away from your side window to view the restaurant in front of you. The door was set to the right side, and the window in front took up nearly the entire wall, save for about three feet of brick from the ground. You and Sans got out of the car and walked towards the door, and before you grabbed it, he stopped. He looked about as apprehensive as he did when you first walked into the estate’s door. You grabbed his hand and pulled him along. 

As you opened the door, you were met with a comfortable warmth, and the smell of smoke, alcohol, and grease. Walking in slowly, to your left there was a large table filled with… dogs. They had all turned to look towards you with uncertain glares. You smiled and waved at them, causing half of them to cock their heads. A crackle and pop sounded from farther away, causing you to look. Grillby’s flames were higher than you’d ever seen them, which you took as surprise. He waved a hand, telling you to come on in. You shrugged at him, then pointed to the space behind you. 

A plume of smoke erupted from him, and he made a pulling motion with both his hands. You laughed and pulled in the skeleton monster who attempted to hide behind you. He had pulled up his hood and was pressed into your back. A slamming of a drink around the dogs startled all but the one who did the slamming. The dog had a black fur mask among the rest of his white fur, with his white eyebrows lifting in surprise. It stood up, revealing a sports tank top and spotted pants, and walked over. It reached Sans and started sniffing him, and when Sans jumped, you took the opportunity to separate from him and giggle. He gave you a look of betrayal as the dog continued to sniff him. 

The dog backed up suddenly and attempted to look at Sans’s face, which he promptly lowered. You could faintly hear the grinding of teeth. 

The dog cocked his head as he stood up straight. “Sans?” 

The table of dogs suddenly went silent. Not a single pant or whisper could be heard. The two hooded dogs stood up and walked over, taking part in the sniffing. 

“Alright!” Sans snapped, startling the three dogs around him. He looked towards the masked dog and glared. “Yea. I’m here.” 

Every dog began to whimper. Sans startled and tried to run when every dog suddenly rushed him and hugged him in a giant embrace of fur, armor, and pants. The two dogs wearing armor licked him furiously. You laughed at his misery and walked towards the bar where Grillby sat laughing his ass off. 

“Enjoying the show, hot stuff?” You said as your laughing calmed. Your words made the campfire glow bright blue for a second before returning to normal. 

With that, you ordered food for you and Sans, as well as a bottle of ketchup, and began a conversation with Grillby about how things worked in his bar. He was going to have you work as a waitress and bartender, and were banned from the kitchen. There weren’t too many mixed drinks ordered unless there were humans, and it was usually the same people, and so he would teach you how to make them next week, as well as the layout of the bar, tables, and certain customers that weren’t so nice. The dogs and Sans were regulars to the bar, and would always order the same thing. You found out the names of all the dogs as Doggo, the masked one, walked up and gave you a hug. You returned it and he started a small conversation, which turned into him requesting that you come in every day and tell him and the rest of the dogs about your adventures with the skeleton. You agreed. 

Sans, about ten minutes later, sat next to you and began to eat. He sipped at the ketchup and was definitely in a much better mood. As you both left the bar, near 6 P.M. so that you could make it for dinner, you breathed a sigh of happiness and relief. 

You were going to have one hell of a good time here.


	19. Inferno

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yea so I planned out several chapters ahead of time and realized that it was only enough for maybe 1k words. My chapters are usually about 4k. So, it took a bit to figure out what I was gonna fit in here, but I got it. 
> 
> Also, don't know if you guys are interested, but I made a playlist for this story. It's both made up of songs that are included (or will be included) in the story as well as songs that helped me write and get ideas from. If you wanna listen, [here it is](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZP3_o053LG7twbq5X-amh-UoUOlUkIhn). I'll add songs as I find more, and if you have any suggestions, let me know and I'll add it if I like it :) 
> 
> Don't forget, if you find errors, let me know!
> 
> Oh and btw, this chapter seriously made me want coffee and baklava. I apologize for that now if you suddenly crave them.
> 
> ~LadyP

Two weeks have passed, and you have embraced your new job at Grillby’s with flying colors. Most of the patrons know you now, and you have learned their favorite foods and drinks. For some patrons you have learned when they would come in, and would usually have their order ready and waiting. 

Doggo and you have become good friends, and would occasionally join the dogs in for a few rounds of poker. Though you didn’t know the rules at first, and you weren’t a very good cards player, you still had fun. You quickly learned not to pet Lesser Dog too much, otherwise his head would rise too high for Grillby’s liking. All of the dogs caught on to your relationship with Sans quickly, and soon were giving advice on how to make the poor guy happy. Dogamy and Dogaressa weren’t too much help on that subject, since they suggested rolling around on the ground or making yourself smell like a puppy. 

Speaking of Sans, he made it a point to visit you every day at lunch time. He worked with Toriel and Asgore, but more or less with Asgore. The larger goat monster held a monster law firm in which the aim was to study the monsters and govern the way they lived, much like the human laws worked. Sans seemed to work as the King’s assistant, doing a majority of the paperwork and setting up appointments. He thought it was boring, but it was work, and it paid well. He got an hour for lunch and so would stop by and give you and Grillby hell. 

You avoided mentioning to Grillby about the conversation that you and Sans had had with Gaster at all costs. Though it was still present in your mind, and you really wanted to tell him, Sans suggested not doing it until you and him were comfortable around each other. Grillby, as you’ve seen with some particularly nasty customers, was not exactly someone you want to piss off. Sans told you that Grillby was one of the few monsters that still existed from the War, and was one of their Generals. If he got pissed, it wasn’t pretty for anyone around. 

The last time he got ‘angry’ at a customer, his flames rose to the ceiling and his humanoid form started to change into an inferno rather than a walking campfire. The dogs whimpered and the patrons ran out as you stood there, watching him. He turned towards you and simmered immediately, though was thoroughly confused and flustered when you started laughing. From that day forward you called him a bonfire, stating that he was much too hotheaded to be a simple campfire. 

Sputter, flicker, pop, crackle, blue flames. Flustered Grillby was too cute. 

So today, while Grillby was busy with patrons and cooking, you managed the bar. Sans, of course, had ordered extra ketchup with his fries and pretty much drowned the poor things in it, before drowning himself. Rolling your eyes as he took a sip made him chuckle, but the serious gaze you had on the glass in front of you made him stop. 

“Love, glare at the glass any harder and it might break under pressure.” 

At that you laughed, but caught the new nickname. Looking to him, you saw the yellow hue dusting his cheeks as he shrugged and looked away. Smirking, you shook your head and gathered your thoughts. 

“When… When should I mention it to Grillby? I’ve been here two weeks now…” You trailed off, eyebrow furrowing. 

“Well, if you wanna do it soon, then why not this weekend? You work till close, right?” 

Nod. 

“Okay, so this weekend. While you close up. That way nobody else will be here if he decides to blow a gasket.” 

You sighed. That was probably the one reason that was keeping you from saying anything at all. You weren’t sure if he’d take the news kindly, if at all. 

The night went smoothly regardless of your thoughts, and none of the patrons gave you problems. Business slowed down around 3 P.M. and you were able to join the dogs for a few games of poker before you had to clean up and leave. Grillby bid you a good evening and you left the bonfire and the dogs to head home. 

On your way home, you decided to grab some coffee from the bakery a few blocks from the bar. You had heard that it was a great place to go with good snacks but that the owner of said bakery was a bit… handsy. What that meant, you had no idea, but you wanted to check it out nonetheless. 

Once you had arrived, you entered the bakery, which was titled Arachnatique, it was nothing like what you had expected. The place was designed pretty simply, a few couches and ottomans to the left and a few single tables with chairs on the right. To the back was a case full of sweets, including cakes, donuts, cheesecake, and even baklava. Well… you weren’t leaving without baklava. 

You rang the bell atop the case and a voice sounded from above you. “I’ll be down in just a second!” 

There’s a second floor? Your curiosity overwhelmed your patience and you headed upstairs to see what was up there. Your eyes widened as you reached the last step. It looked like a very plush and fancy café, like one you would see in France. The tables each had two chairs and were lined up diagonally in straight lines. Topping the tables were white lace table covers, a single candle, plates, and silverware. The black chairs had very comfortable-looking crimson seat covers. The walls were a deep violet color and the wood accents that lined the walls were black. This was a place you would visit quite often, that was for sure. 

“Oh! Hello, dearie! I’m sorry I wasn’t downstairs.” You glanced towards the voice and paused. There was a woman (?) that looked very much like a spider. Her multitude of arms were staying comfortably at her side while her five eyes gazed at you. Her mouth was turned upwards into a smile and you could see small fangs poking free. 

You blinked yourself out of your stupor and forced yourself to respond. “It’s no problem, I got curious about the upstairs. I didn’t think there was one.” 

Her smile brightened and her eyes widened. “Oh yes, many do not visit the upstairs, as usually they come and go, but I must ask, do you like it, dearie?” 

You nodded furiously. “Oh yes,” you said as you glanced around the room once more. “this is wonderful. It’s my first time here and I’m definitely impressed.” 

That caught her attention. “Oh my goodness, this is your first visit?” 

“Yea, actually. Some friends told me to stop by a while back, I just haven’t had the time.” 

“Oh dearie me. Let’s go back downstairs then!” She briskly walked back towards the stairs and you followed her. 

“I realized I didn’t catch your name…” You inquired as you both make it back to the first floor. She blinked at you a few times before she jerked her head up. 

“Oh, I’m so sorry! My name is Muffet, dearie.” She walked behind the counter and folded four of her hands while the other two grabbed a pad and pen. “Now I’m sure that you didn’t come here just to chat with little old me, did you dearie?” 

You couldn’t help but smile and giggle a bit at the spider monster. “Though I do like you already, I actually came here to see if you had coffee.” 

“Oh yes!” She reached under the counter and brought up a one-page menu with labels for drinks and food. You took a quick look at the food section, smiling at the range of sweets and the few savory items she had, and brought your gaze back up to the coffee. You had no real clue what to get, but knew that some of the monsters at home preferred cream and sugar while some preferred black. Today you wanted something with more of a kick and were glad to see she only charged a dime for each espresso shot. 

“Alright, I’ll take, let’s see, a mocha with two shots of espresso, three regular mocha’s, a mocha caramel, aaaaaaand a salted caramel.” She quickly wrote down the order but you remembered one more thing. “Oh! Also, two orders of baklava, please.” 

She smiled at you. “I actually just put those out there yesterday. It’s new and a few of my human customers requested it, but I haven’t tried it myself.” 

“I used to eat them all the time as a kid. My school had a Moroccan Deli a block away and he always served it fresh. I miss that guy.” She brought out one from the case in front of you and eyed it. She looked so skeptical about the sweet treat that it made you giggle. 

“It’s really good, I swear.” You tried to reassure her, but she ended up splitting the sweet in half and handing one half to you, her eyes turning into a glare. 

“I did not make it so I must insist that you try it with me.” Oh so she was skeptical about it because she didn’t make it… That makes a little sense. 

You took the entire half in your mouth and chewed it. For something ordered, it actually still tasted really good. Nothing compared to fresh, but good either way. You nodded at her, giving her the go-ahead, and she hesitantly took a small bite. She chewed the sweet slowly as you watched. You smiled, waiting for the moment that she gave in. Her face lit up and she took the rest of the sweet in her mouth, chewing a bit faster. Your smile got just a bit bigger. 

“Alright dearie, looks like I will have to find the recipe for those. Goodness, me.” She covered her mouth as she spoke, but even past her hand, you could tell she was smiling. 

“How much do you have?” She held up one finger and went to the back. 

A few minutes pass and you begin to assume she was filling your order at the same time. You were glad that you finally came here. Muffet was quite… eccentric, but you still loved the air around her and her friendly personality. 

A few more minutes and you heard a throat being cleared from behind you. You jumped and turned. She covered her mouth and laughed. “Oh dearie, I apologize.” 

You shook your head, smiling. “No worries, Muffet.” 

She handed you a six-cup carrier with the coffee and a bag. You raised a brow at her and looked inside, finding a package of baklava within, probably a good ten pieces. 

“Alright dearie, now since it’s your first time here, you get a discount! So your total would have been $27.70, but with the first time discount, it comes to $13.85.” She looked at you with a smile while you started in disbelief. 

“Wait, but that’s half the price.” 

“Of course, dearie! If I give newcomers such a great discount, they’ll definitely have to come back and see my lovely café!” 

Well, you can’t really argue with that. 

You shake your head and give a breathy laugh. “Alright, alright. I’ll definitely be coming back for more of my dearest Muffet.” As you say her name you wink, causing her to blush and wave a hand towards you. 

“Oh, stop it, you!” As she collects your money she jerks. “Oh! I didn’t catch your name either, deary!” 

That’s right, you hadn’t told her. “Ah, right, my name is Zenyth, but you can call me Zen.” 

She smiled brightly. “Zen, what a wonderful name.” 

You waved goodbye as you left her café and finally went back home. 

 

As you thought, Papyrus, and Asgore weren’t yet home. Sans had mentioned that even though Papyrus likes coffee, he really shouldn’t have it. You knew Asgore didn’t like coffee, so it made him the odd man out. 

Walking into the living room, you found Frisk hovering over the coffee table doing what looked like homework. Sans appeared to be helping her as he pointed to different parts of the paper. You smiled as you got out two of the coffees, a mocha for Sans and the mocha caramel for Frisk, and set it front of them. They both jumped back, as neither of them had realized you were there. Once Frisk noticed it was from Muffet’s, they smiled and reached for it. Bringing it to her lips for a sip, she gave you a big smile. 

\--Thank you!

You smiled. “You're welcome, buddy.” You were glad to have learned at least a few things in sign language in the two weeks you lived with them. 

Sans brought his up to his mouth and took a sip. He made a face and stared at it. “What’s this?” 

“It’s a mocha. It’s just coffee and cream with chocolate.” He nodded and took another sip. 

“I like it.” 

You went to the kitchen to find Undyne, Alphys, and Toriel all sitting at the table discussing something you couldn’t quite hear. You placed the bag of baklava on the kitchen counter and walked the coffee over to the table, causing all three women to look up. You handed the last two mocha's to Alphys and Toriel, and the salted caramel to Undyne. You guessed right, as all three of them hummed in satisfaction. 

You walked back over to the kitchen and started wrapping individual baklava in a paper towel. Three in hand, you brought them to the women who looked at the sweet suspiciously. 

“Oh my gods, just eat it. It’s really good. Muffet said she’s gonna find a recipe to start making it for real.” 

Toriel took the first bite and if she could actually melt into the floor, she would have. 

“Oh my. I must also find the recipes for these. What are they called?” 

“It’s called baklava. It’s a middle-eastern savory sweet. I used to eat these things all the time as a kid.” 

Undyne and Alphys had similar reactions, though Undyne practically begged for a second one. You slapped her hand when she got up to get another one, stating she could have one once everyone in the house had gotten one. She growled but went back to the table. 

You brought three more out to the living room, along with your coffee, and sat down on the couch behind Frisk and Sans. You tapped both of them on the shoulder and handed them the sweet. They both inspected it but Frisk took a bite and made her little happy dance. Sans raised an eyebrow to you as you brought yours out and took a bite. You smiled and nodded. 

His eyes returned to the sweet as he took a small bite. A few seconds later, the sweet was completely devoured. He took a hold of your coffee and took a sip, though immediately handed back and took a good chug of his. 

“What the hell did you put in yours?” He choked out. Frisk looked at your drink with concern. 

“Two shots of espresso. Extra-strong and concentrated coffee. Adds more caffeine and I happen to like it. I guess it keeps you out of it so that’s also a plus.” 

Frisk giggled as Sans glared over the top of his cup. 

It wasn’t long until Asgore and Papyrus both got home and were treated to a bite of baklava. Asgore insisted on someone (he totally hinted at Toriel) making them at least once a week, while Papyrus was not allowed to have them, ever. Apparently they were so sweet that it caused him a spurt of hyperness and energy that lasted for two hours. 

Dinner came and went, Frisk finished her homework, and soon, everyone was in bed. 

 

The weekend came slowly, as the days before droned on. You had stopped by Muffet’s again the day prior and found freshly made baklava in her dessert case, and she gave you one to try. You told her it was the best baklava you had ever tasted. She squealed and gave you an order of five baklava for free. 

Tonight was one of the days you worked until closing at Grillby’s. These days could either be fast or slow, and today, unfortunately, was one of the slow days. The only customers to come in were the dogs, a rabbit monster that was easy to take care of, and Sans. He stayed throughout the night and didn’t leave, even after the dogs did. Grillby would sometimes allow Sans to stay after closing, so Sans was there to back you up and keep you company as your nerves took you over. Grillby must have noticed at some point because he made you take a break and brought you a cup of coffee and Kahlua. 

Around midnight is when you started to close. As Grillby started wiping down tables and booths and putting up chairs, you started cleaning the bar and the glasses. Sans wasn’t helping, as usual, but kept both you and Grillby engaged in a conversation. The bonfire seemed to be in a good mood, as he was actively replying and even had some witty comebacks towards Sans’s jokes and puns. 

You were nearly done with the bar area when Grillby left to clean the dishes and the rest of the kitchen. 

“You ready?” Sans asked after a few minutes of silence. You bit the inside of your lip and shook your head. “Yea, didn’t think so. All we can hope for is that he stays cool.” 

You side-glared him, and by his facial expression, the pun was unintentional. 

“I’m nervous as hell, honestly. I don’t want him to be mad, sure, but I’d just rather not lose my job, or my friend because of what I’m about to say.” 

“Grillby’s not the type to hold grudges, but I’m here for you. If he gets angry, I’ll try and cool him off. If I’m not able to… best we not come by for a few days.” His solemn look lets you know he’s being serious about that last part. You sighed as you grabbed the last glass and began polishing it. You tried to focus on the motion rather than the thoughts that were raging within your head. 

Grillby appeared again and walked up to you, checking on your work. He nodded at you, letting you know he was satisfied. 

“You two… can leave after… you are done.” Fuck. Well, here we go.

“Actually, uh, I have something I need to, uh, talk to you about.” Your nerves had never been higher. You were still polishing the glass and your hands were very noticeably shaking. You kept making new smudges once you polished the old ones. Grillby noticed and took the glass from you and began polishing it. 

“What is it?” 

“Um, well…” You paused, looking anywhere but at Grillby. You heard a glass set down on the counter and a very warm hand turned you around. Grillby had his complete attention on you, which made you freeze up and hold your breath. Grillby’s flames dimmed to a deep crimson as he saw your visible distress. He looked up to Sans, who took a deep breath. 

“She’s nervous, Grillbz. We’re not sure how you’ll respond to this.” Grillby cocked his head and looked back down at you. 

Fuck. Fuck it all. 

“Fuck, alright!” You yelled, which caused Grillby to jump slightly. You sighed. “Alright Grillby, look, what I’m gonna say right here and now, I need you to seriously not get pissed at me and let me explain, okay? Don’t nod at me, cause I know what happens when you get ‘angry’.” 

His head cocked to the side just a bit more as he spoke up. “Okay… Zen, what… is the matter?” 

You took a deep breath. “I… I spoke with Gaster a few weeks back.” 

Grillby’s flames shot up incredibly high, and you backed up as far as you could in panic. Even Sans jumped back and away from the bar. Grillby’s flames were large, hot, and flickering wildly. 

“Zen, that is not something you should be joking about.” This was the first time you had heard him speak clearly and you couldn’t even bask in his voice as the fear consumed you. You could sense the threat in his voice. 

You shook your head quickly. “No! It’s not a joke, I promise. I asked for you to let me explain-“ 

“So explain.” 

You whipped your head around to Sans, who was still near his seat but his eyes were black voids and sweat beads were rolling down his head. He looked about as terrified as you, maybe even more so. He didn’t say anything so you had no choice but to look back at the raging inferno in front of you, threatening to burn you at a moment’s notice. 

“I can’t exactly explain everything, but he’s able to come to Sans and I in our dreams somehow. He-He hasn’t visited in a few weeks, though.” 

Grillby remained silent and his flames didn’t die down at all. You could see he was breathing heavily. 

“Fuck. Uh, he said to mention something to you… What was it again?” You tried to remember, but the fear in your head was taking over every- There it is. 

“Illaria Beach.” You said breathlessly, glancing up at Grillby as you said it. His breathing faltered and his flames died down instantly. 

“He said to mention Illaria Beach, said you would know what it meant. Hell, I even looked it up and there was nothing about it, so I can’t know.” 

Grillby’s hand went up to his face and rubbed at the side and at his temple. He walked around the bar, took one of the chairs down from a table, and sat down. He was facing towards both you and Sans with his head in his hands, elbows on his knees. You walked around the bar towards Sans who had his arms outstretched and waiting for you. You both stood there as Grillby sat silently. You were unsure how Sans felt about the situation, and you didn’t know quite how to feel either. 

You heard Grillby sigh after a few minutes, and you and Sans looked up to see him stand and turn towards you both. He wrung his hands in front of him and looked… nervous? You raised an eyebrow at him and he dipped his head. 

“I apologize.” 

“Grillby, no, I-“ 

“Please, let me finish.” 

You quieted and allowed him to speak. 

“You told me that I should listen first. I… Upon hearing his name, I couldn’t think. I immediately thought it was some cruel joke. I noticed your fear, despite my rage.” He looked up at Sans, then to you. “Though once I heard you say Illaria Beach, I knew. That was something only between him and I.” He crackled and you actually saw a white flame smile crack upon his face. 

“The next time he visits you, mention April 5th, and please, let me know his reaction.” 

Relief. 

You let go of Sans and ran to Grillby to wrap your arms around him. He returned the hug and lightly squeezed you. You laughed suddenly and Grillby released you enough so that he could see your face. 

“I told you not to get all hot and bothered and there you were, becoming an inferno of hotness, huh?” 

Blue. He was all blue. 

Sans barked with laughter, and as Grillby was done being flustered, he too, chuckled. You all stayed and had a few drinks afterwards, until Grillby was quite drunk. You and Sans ended up having to take him upstairs and set him up in bed before you both left. 

On the way home, you and Sans couldn’t help but joke about Grillby. 

Especially how blue he was. Neither you nor Sans were going to let that one go anytime soon.


	20. Grillby is Adorable

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just gonna say now, this was totally a filler, but FLUFF AND COMEDY AND ALL THE GRILLBY. ALL OF HIM. 
> 
> I HAD SO MUCH FUN WRITING THIS CHAPTER, SO HERE, LOVE ME. 
> 
> (◉‿◉) I swear I'm not crazy.

The days go by quickly but were filled with so much to do that it seemed like no time had really passed. You worked often at Grillby’s, doing anything and everything except for things that involved the kitchen. He had managed to give you a pay raise, both for bringing in high amounts of business, but also for being a great friend. You were on par with Sans, and well, that amounted for a slight jealous reaction between the two monsters. They constantly fought over your attention, but Grillby more or less did it just to tease Sans. 

Of course, Sans almost always retaliated with general fire puns and ones more oriented for… blue flames. Grillby had given up a few days ago on trying to live it down. 

“Aw, c’mon Grillbz, don’t get blue on us now!” Sans had said one evening when a particularly rowdy crowd of women came in to his bar and started hitting on him and being rather suggestive. 

Grillby cringed but flickered blue despite it all. You laughed, knowing that Grillby was already taken but told you that he didn’t exactly care for human women all that much. He forced you to take over after one of the women groped him, causing a multitude of crackles and pops but also a squeal – an actual _squeal._

He walked back to the bar; madly flushing blue and white, tense as all hell. “Please take that table, I cannot…” You quietly laughed to yourself, noting he was in a high level of distress and embarrassment. You nodded to him and quickly approached the table to take their drink orders. Grillby leaned on his elbows upon the bar, head in his hands. Sans said nothing, knowing Grillby wasn’t necessarily used to being the target of suggestive behavior. 

As you approached you could hear the girls whispering and laughing among themselves, though you could understand some of their talk was over the ‘absolutely adorable bartender’. 

“Hey ladies! I’ll be taking your orders tonight.” They all turned towards you and gawked silently before erupting in a shower of questions. 

“What’s it like working with him?”  
“Do you have the hots for him?”  
“Have you and him done the ‘dirty’?”   
“Please tell me he’s available!” 

You were shocked to silence by the sheer amount of questions, but it wasn’t just that, it was also the fact that nobody has ever hit on Grillby to this degree. Sure, these were girls around your age but jeez, could they be any more promiscuous? Some of these girls looked like they had way too many one-night stands. 

“Uh, he’s actually a really nice and caring guy. No, I’m not interested in him, nor have I done anything remotely like that with him, and uh, no, he’s not available.” 

The groans. You cringed at the sound. Way too practiced and loud. 

“What girl has him!? Oh my gawd I want to murder her!” Your eye twitched. 

“Uh, not a girl, I’m afraid.” 

They all slowly turned towards you, at once, with wide eyes, the look on their face practically saying that you were speaking in tongues. You knew the exact thought on their mind. 

“Yes, ladies, he’s gay.” 

Screams, groans, insults, and whatever else they could manage out of their vocal cords seemed to take up all air within the bar. 

“I even touched his ass! Why do all the gay guys have to have nice asses!” You snorted at that one, though you had to admit that Grillby did have a nice ass. “Like, he had such a god’s ass, why does it have to go to some other guy!?” 

Aw, poor girl. “Look, I know he looks like a fiery David Beckham, but tone it down. You’re gonna give the poor guy a stroke.” 

They all turn towards him at once, causing him to jump and flare blue and white again. He’s so nervous that he can’t figure out what to do with his hands. Sans is to the side snickering. 

“Oh, what about the skelly? He’s kinda cute.” You glare at the speaker from the corner of your eye. She’s not looking, but you can see the dreamy look in her eyes and your mind instantly goes into possessive-mode, but you wait it out for a bit longer. Maybe you can get a kick out of bursting their very fucking large bubbles. 

“Yea, he is. Look at those cheeks!”   
“He’s quite a looker, honestly!”  
“I don’t know about you girls, but getting ‘boned’ sounds lovely.” You twitch. Visibly. 

You sigh and walk over to Sans. Once he notices he raises a brow at you and turns towards you only to have you kiss him. He laughs against you but kisses back. The screams behind you are totally worth it. 

As you break the kiss, the triumphant smile on your face gives Sans all the info he needs. He breaks out in wild laughter. “Yea, girls, sorry! See this one?” He points to you as he puts his other arm around your waist, pulling you closer. “This one is mine.” 

What you didn’t expect was for him to conjure his fucking tongue and lick you on the face. You shriek and turn towards him to lock his head into a noogie. The girls are laughing their asses off at the turn of events, and even Grillby is crackling with laughter. Sans was begging for release after a good minute or so. 

You released him and walked back to the table. Sans was rubbing his skull gingerly where your knuckles had hit him the hardest. The girls finally ordered drinks and food and once they had left you began cleaning the tables. You honestly didn’t expect a tip, but when you found a very generous hundred-dollar bill on the table, your day was infinitely better. They became regulars and never stopped giving Grillby and Sans shit, but respected that they were both taken. Though Grillby was understanding and was able to deal with most of their teasing, you had made sure to tell Toriel about the situation. 

Sans had gotten the ‘Mother Talk’ and boy did he not give in after that. He teased them to the point they were sure he’d give in and then completely and utterly destroy their hopes by walking over and grabbing your ass, breast, or hell, just flat out kissing you. The licking thing didn’t happen unless he wanted to be beaten, and you slowly found out it was one of his… kinks. 

That didn’t quite sit well in your head since neither of you were even remotely close to being sexual with each other but that got you interested like no other. 

Those thoughts could sit in the time-out box for a while – a long while. 

 

Muffet and you had become quick friends and you were even allowed to help her in the kitchen. There were a few spiders that worked in there, and not spiders like her – legit spiders. At first you were scared of them and had to slowly tell Muffet about the things humans had against things that skittered. There were so many movies about spiders killing tons of people that you were conditioned to be scared of them. She didn’t believe you, at least, not quite. Any spider within her vicinity was quite nice and respected personal space, to your surprise. Any other spider, though, wasn’t so forgiving, acting like the normal spiders you grew up with. 

You and her tested several new recipes, and even managed to get her selling your accidental mocha cake. It was quite an interesting story, as you were required to make a food item for your English class in your senior year of high school, and the food item had to be based or designed on something dealing with Greek mythology. You had designed a cake based on the River Styx, and the frosting, which was supposed to be buttercream, turned into an absolutely delicious mocha buttercream, all because you added a bit too much coffee. It made the cake so much more tasty. 

It ended up selling really well. Not only that, but several customers wanted to know if she would make healthier options, such as soy, gluten-free, or even smoothies. If it would increase her business, she was more than happy to oblige. 

She did not prepare for how much her business would bloom. Eventually she asked for your help, and you were able to offer yourself for part-time work so that you could continue your main job at Grillby’s. Seeing how many hours you were working, Grillby offered to not only shorten your hours with increased pay, but also offer a partnership with Muffet, as some of his customers would probably like to see something on his menu besides beverages and burgers and fries. 

“Morning, Muffet!” You had greeted her one morning for a short shift of four hours. Mondays were the short days, as nearly everyone and their extended family came in during morning hours but died off severely after 11 A.M.

“Morning, dearie!” The reply came from the kitchen. It was about 5 A.M. so she would probably be preparing the dough and mixes for the day. 

You made your way towards the kitchen and found that she was hovering intently over a piece of paper, a pen in two of her hands. You walked up behind her and glanced at the paper, noticing it was simply a request for an Eco Label for her bakery, which would let people know that she served natural foods and healthy choices for those with allergies. You smiled. 

“Getting ready for the big healthy step, are we?” She jumped at your voice and clutched at her chest, something she picked up from you. 

“Oh dearie, you must stop that!” She lightly slapped your shoulder, making you laugh. You nodded towards the paper. 

“Is that the request form?” She nodded. 

“Yes, it seems there are more changes that we thought. Not only must we include separate recipes but we must also have a health inspection and different oils.” She sighed, all five of her eyes closing. “There is so much we must do, dearie, but I want to do this.” 

You gripped her shoulder tightly. “You can do it Muffet, I know it.” She smiled her toothy grin at you. 

“Thank you, dearie.” 

“Though, I do have some news from Grillby.” She cocked her head and two of her eyes mimicked what a brow raise would be. “He was offering you a partnership.” 

Her eyes practically bugged out of her- fuck. Unintentional pun. 

“A partnership? You mean, as in a business marriage?” 

“I have no clue, but he did say that your bakery’s goods would definitely do well in his bar. Some of his customers like liquor and what goes good with liquor?” 

She smiled and tapped at her chin. “Well dearie, I must say that that is certainly something. If you could handle the baking for now, I must call him.” 

“Go ahead, I’ve got it covered.” 

She thanked you and skipped away to her office, leaving you to prepare the kitchen and all of the sweets for the Monday morning rush. 

 

The day was a sweaty rush of people and sweets. So many people ordered espresso shots this morning that you ran out and had to run to a nearby store to get something remotely tolerable for the few who remained, and for yourself. You would definitely need a triple-shot after your shift was over. The last of the rush was trickling in and as you were filling their bags with sweets, you were at the last bits of energy. You had not yet realized the last two people in line were not part of the normal rush, at least not until they were next in line. 

You smiled despite being completely worn out. Grillby and Sans were here, and though Sans ordered coffee for him and you as well as some baklava and your mocha cake, Grillby and Muffet went back to her office to discuss the partnership. Once Sans paid for his items, he left to go upstairs and waited for you to finish cleaning and locking up. 

The spiders were busy cleaning the kitchen so you took that as your cue to go on ahead upstairs. Your skeletal boyfriend was sitting at the far end next to the last window. Once sitting down, you breathed a sigh of relief as your calves and feet stopped screaming in agony. The open window let in a subtle but chilly wind that calmed you and allowed you to relax. 

Sans chuckled at you. “Tired, are we?” He only got a grumble as a response. 

“Thought so. By the way, what’s this?” You half-opened one eye and glanced down to what he was pointing at, which happened to be the mocha cake. 

“It’s a cake I made. Tastes like coffee.” He made an inquisitive noise as you yet again closed your eyes. You were about to doze off when you heard him squeal. Confusion flitted across your face as your eyes open, but he was only smiling and devouring the cake. You couldn’t help but laugh. 

“So tell me, does it rival Tori’s butterscotch-cinnamon pie?” He nodded quickly. 

“Heh, guess that means I should bring a piece for her to try. Offer her a challenge.” 

He snorted. You knew you’d lose, but you could still make a few things that could even have her requesting it time to time. One time she had accidentally bought instant coffee and nearly threw it out until you showed her how to make Indian Style coffee. You saved her big bucks and now she bought a special kind of instant coffee just so that you could make her an Indian coffee whenever you came over. 

This new dessert of yours could definitely take the cake on her pie. 

…

…

_Fuck._

You giggled to yourself, making Sans look up at you with a brow raised. “I was just thinking… This new dessert of mine could definitely… heh… definitely take the _cake_ on her pie.” 

He stared at you for a few moments before dissolving into an ugly fit of snorts and giggles. “Another unintentional one, I assume?” 

“Yep. I can’t think of them on my own so why not just do it on accident.” 

Just then, Grillby and Muffet walk up. Muffet, you see, looks rather pleased with herself. So a deal’s been made?

“So, how’s it going?” You casually ask. 

“Well, dearie, I will sell some desserts and drinks at his bar, while I shall take advantage of his bar and liquor selection.” Her fangs poke out of her mouth at her slight smirk. 

“Wait, what do ya mean?” Oh yea, Sans. 

“Muffet and I have made a partnership agreement.” Grillby says. You enjoy that the more he has talked, the clearer he has become. “I will buy some of her sweets and sell them at the bar, while she will use some of the liquor and occasionally rent out a space at the bar.” 

He glances at you. “That is where you come in.” 

You smile nervously. “Oh, so I was part of the…” You glare in sudden realization. 

“Wait, so I’m like the kid you guys are fighting over in a custody battle?” 

Muffet laughs and Grillby chuckles. “Sort of, dearie. We will have a bake sale occasionally at Grillby’s bar, and I will ask that you take over it.” 

You nodded. “Sounds easy enough. But uh, Muffet, are we going to go through with the recipe changes beforehand?” 

“Oh! No, dearie, I will start this with Grillby as soon as we are able. The healthy things will only be here.” 

You nod again. Understandable. 

A conversation erupts between the four of you and before you know it, it is time to start your shift at Grillby’s. He allows you to go home and get changed into more comfortable clothing, since the uniform was never introduced. He only ever insisted on at least being presentable and appropriate. Easy enough, considering more than half of your wardrobe was t-shirts and jeans. 

As you arrived at Grillby’s, you were greeted by the dogs and a few of the girls, but of course, always the one who liked getting a little touchy with Grillby. He already looked frazzled and you had just gotten there. You made sure everyone had drinks before you went to the bar and clocked in. You smiled and laughed at Grillby as you grabbed your order pad. Before you could leave, though, he grabbed your arm, holding you back. 

You raised an eyebrow at him and cocked your head. A habit you adopted from nearly every monster ever. 

His flames flickered nervously and a very faint blew blush appeared where his cheeks would be. “I, uh, looked up this David Beckham person you mentioned the other day.” 

It was now your time to blush, and damn do you blush furiously. You smiled nervously while you stared at him. Was he going to comment about the person of choice? Was he going to mention his ass? 

“Which, um, _part_ of him were you comparing me to?” You stopped breathing and released a choked squeal. He looked positively embarrassed and nervous but he was so asking the wrong fucking question. 

You dipped your head in shame. “I uh, I meant most of him, but I was uh, I was sort of more or less hinting that you and him had, uh, great asses.” 

Your face was going to melt. If you could become one with the floor, now would be a great fucking time. 

A strained groan erupted from him, causing you to slowly look up without lifting your head. His head was in both hands and he was bright white. _Entirely. White._

The only reaction you had was to bring out your phone and take a quick snapshot. Hearing the shutter click, Grillby jumped and quickly glanced at you as you put the phone back in your pocket. You smiled mischievously at him and waggled your eyebrows. 

“Zen, don’t you dare.” 

Your smile only grew, splitting your face in two, before turning and walking away, making a “heeeeeeee” sound. 

“Zen…” His voice was pleading, but it was simply too good to pass up. 

“Aw poor Grillbz, don’t want me branding a new image?” You teased, smile wide, as you grabbed your phone and brought up a group message. Right as you clicked ‘send’, Grillby reached for your phone. You dipped below him and crawled away, giggling. He sprinted around the bar after you, reaching for the phone, making grabby hands while making the cutest little distressed noises you’ve ever heard him make. 

The patrons of the bar were totally enjoying their ‘Dinner and a Show’ tonight. You feel your phone vibrate several times, letting you know that people were responding to it and were probably asking what the hell was going on. 

Not too long afterwards, you hear the bell ding, signaling a new customer. 

A bunch of the patrons greet the customer, yelling “SANS!!”

You turn towards him to see him the brightest yellow and his face cracked with the biggest and dopiest smile you have every seen. Grillby gave an exasperated grunt from behind you and heard the telltale sounds of fire moving away. You looked back to find him now blue, but heading back towards the kitchen. 

You’d apologize to him later. 

“Zen, have you checked your phone?” You looked to Sans and shook your head. Bringing it out, you checked the messages. 

 

 **Frisk:** WHAT. HOW.

 **Undyne:** THAT IS PRICELESS!! I’M GONNA CALL HIM MARSHMALLOW NOW!!

 **Alphys:** Oh dear! He looks so cute! ( >o3o)>

 **Toriel:** Oh my goodness, in all my years I have never seen that man look so embarrassed! Zen, what did you do to the poor man?

 **Sans:** oh my god. im coming to see. 

**Papyrus:** HUMAN! SANS! BE NICE TO GRILLBY!

 

You can’t help but smile and shake your head. 

Grillby finally comes out of the kitchen, seemingly back to normal, and walks to the bar and starts polishing a glass. You walk around the bar to hug him around the waist. 

“Grillbz, I’m sorry!” 

He grunts, slightly shaking his head. The white line on his face betrays him, though, as it’s turned in a smile. You giggle and start scratching at his side. 

He twitches away and squeaks. “I said I’m sorry!” You’re laughing but you mean it. 

He shakes his head, still smiling. “It’s quite alright.” 

“If Grilbz got any hotter he would have melted everything around.” Sans chirps in. 

Grillby slowly turned towards Sans, his breathing slowing. Sans begins to sweat and shyly smiles as he laughs nervously. 

The stare off only lasts a few moments before Sans relents and apologizes. 

The night goes smoothly after that. You help Grillby close and he sends you home in a wonderful mood. Once you get home, Toriel chastises you, though she can’t help but laugh, about poking fun at Grillby, then mentions that your cake was excellent… Too excellent. It earns you a glare from her as she issues you a challenge. Her pie versus your cake. Everyone goes silent. 

You smile. “Sure, Tori. I’m gonna win, so what’s my prize?” She gapes at you, wide eyes showing complete shock. Her face slowly turns into a grin, taking your challenge.

“If you win, my dear, I will allow you to continue making your dessert in this household. If I win, you will ask Muffet to put my pie in her display case, for sale.” 

You knew her pie was special, as she always included healing magic while making it, so it would be a specialty item. You’d have to talk it over with Muffet, of course, but she would probably be more than happy to do so. 

You smirked. “You’re on, Tori.” 

 

 

 

 

 

You ended up winning the vote. Asgore and Frisk were grounded for an entire month for voting for you.


	21. Rain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I greatly apologize for not posting for... what... five days? While Spring Break was going on, my mind decided that it was "ABSOLUTELY NO MOTIVATION WEEK :D" so all I did was play Battlefield and Destiny and didn't touch my story until like, day four, and then only wrote two paragraphs. 
> 
> So uh, yea. Hopefully I'll be able to get my motivation back. Enjoy this chapter, I hope.

In the months that pass, everything is settling into a normal pace. With the partnership between your two jobs, you are endlessly busy but get paid well enough that you’re able to live comfortably within the home of the monsters. Your car needed some major work done and you managed to get it re-sprayed, though of course something that both you and Sans had agreed to. You made some payments on your student loans, which thanks to loans and grants, wasn’t too much but it was still enough to put a good dent in your savings. 

Besides that, it also seems that Sans has finally gotten into the good graces of the family. Even if everyone accepted Sans back, they hadn’t quite forgiven him. Turns out the easiest ones to forgive him were Undyne, Alphys, Frisk, and Asgore. Papyrus and Toriel made him work for it, and work for it he did. Undyne would constantly comment on how she’s never seen him work so hard for anything before this. 

He would constantly be willing to go out and do something for either of them, whether it was picking up Frisk from school, getting Papyrus fresh ingredients for spaghetti or some other pasta dish, or even doing chores around the house. He only worked a few hours a day with Asgore so most of his time was spent at home or at Grillby’s, so he found that chores were a way to keep himself busy. Of course, he’d come by Grillby’s to complain, which honestly only made you and Grillby start the tag-team teasing. 

There was only one thing that was unsettling to both you and Sans, and that thing was that Gaster had been silent. Neither of you could contact him, and it seemed he either couldn’t or wasn’t trying. Sans came up with what he believed to be an answer, which was that Gaster may have used a significant amount of magic to contact you both, and was unable to contact either of you because of the lack of magic needed. It was the only answer you two had, and made sense either way. 

You could only hope the silence wouldn’t last for much longer. 

 

One peculiar day at work was definitely the start of something. What kind of something, you weren’t quite sure, but the energy felt off. Not just the raging thunderstorm and heavy rains, but the overall mood and tense atmosphere. The shift you had today was significantly longer than usual, as the storm had everyone on edge and panicking. You never understood why people seemed to think the world was going to end as soon as a storm decided to roll through. Maybe that was due to being so close to a tornado when you were just a kid. Still…

Grillby stayed in the kitchen and up in his apartment for most of the day, seeing as the air in the main area conflicted with his flames. It wasn’t just raining, it was muggy as hell, and the moisture kept collecting on the windows, floor, tables, and the bar. You wouldn’t be able to live without feeling the rain, but you’d seen just how Grillby reacted to water touching him before. Water to him was like real fire to you, where he would get an injury similar to a third-degree burn for humans. At one point, when he watered himself and you were gathering his magical ‘fuel’, you mentioned to him that he reminded you of an Enderman. 

Every now and then after showing him where that was from, you’d catch him playing the game, only for him to quickly hide it and make to do something. 

There weren’t very many customers today, due to the storm, but who did come in stayed for a good, long while. They didn’t ask for much, so you were able to sit in a booth and play on your phone until one of them called for you. Sans was rather busy today, consulting with Asgore and doing errands with Toriel, but texted when he was able to. 

**You:** So how’d work with Asgore go? What are you and Tori doin?

**Sans:** there were a few humans that wanted to work alongside him. had to make sure that they were okay. two werent. tori and i are out getting stuff for frisk and pap. 

**You:** Sounds fun. Grillby is hiding from the rain so I’m handling pretty much everything today. 

**Sans:** poor grillbz. anything you want for dinner tonite? tori is askin.

**You:** Something with meat. 

**Sans:** ;) 

**You:** You have no meat. Someone already picked it all off. 

**Sans:** :(

You smirked at your phone just in time to hear the ringing of the bell above the door. Pocketing your phone, you got up and walked over to the new customers. The four men were new to Grillby’s, but you got the vibe that something wasn’t quite right. They all glanced to the left where the monsters were with disdain, but the monsters stared right back. You cleared your throat and smiled. 

“Welcome to Grillby’s! You guys are new, so I’ll let you know that you can choose the booth or bar. Which do you prefer?” 

The one in front spoke up, his voice raspy and restrained. “Booth.” 

You nodded and gestured to the booth next to you, the second one along the wall. All four moved into their seats as you caught your order book out. “So we have fountain drinks and alcoholic beverages, as well as coffee, tea, and a few extra drinks. What’ll it be?” 

“Four waters.” 

“Alright, we also only have two things on the menu, which are burgers and fries. What’ll it be?” 

They looked among themselves for a moment, not saying anything. “Four orders of burgers and fries then.” 

“Alright! I’ll have your order shortly. If you need anything, just holler for me. The name is Zen.” 

You made your way towards the kitchen and found that Grillby was indeed back up in his apartment. He said you weren’t allowed in for safety reasons, so you went back out to the bar and called his home phone. 

It rang twice before he picked up. “…Hello?” 

“Hey Grillbz. Got four orders of burgers and fries. Four new customers.” 

“…Alright. I’ll be down… in a moment.” 

You hung up and got four glasses, filled them with ice and water, and went back to the table to drop off the drinks. 

“So I haven’t seen your faces before. New to town?” You tried to ask as casually as you could. Not many humans came around, especially not to just ‘visit’. 

“Uh, we’re just passin’ through.” The main one spoke, again. He clipped the ending of his sentence so you knew there was nothing more to be said from him. 

“Well, I sure hope you enjoy the food here. This place has probably got the best burgers you’ll ever have.” You said enthusiastically. The one in the back corner, who had his face hidden from you, scoffed. You internally shrugged. 

A bell sounded from the kitchen. “I’ll be back with your food in just a sec!” 

You walked into the kitchen to find Grillby just plating the food. You made to grab it and he, in turn, grabbed your arm and held it firmly. You looked up to him, eyebrows furrowed. His flames were crackling more than usual, and that was definitely not caused by the rain. 

“What’s up, Grillbz?” 

He huffed a bit of smoke; his tell that he was irritated. “…The new ones… I don’t… like them.” 

Ah. “Get them to eat and get them out. I got it. The dogs don’t like them either.” He nodded and made his way upstairs to his home. You set the large platter on your arm and walked out into the main part of the bar. Out of the large windows that made up the front, you could see that the rain was worsening and the thunder and lightning were getting more active. You’d have to check on the weather when you got a chance. 

You approached the table that the men were seated at and split the food among them. They nodded and began to eat in silence. You set the platter back in the kitchen before getting yourself a soda and sitting yourself back in your booth. Pulling out your phone, you got out the weather app and checked the radar. The storm was only just beginning, it seemed. Good for you, bad for Grillby. 

**You:** Sorry, had some customers. The storm is getting worse.

**Sans:** yea, we noticed. tori is makin me take her home. i’ll drop by grillbys to see ya.

**You:** Alright, see ya in a few then.

You searched through your bag for the pair of ear buds you almost never used and plugged them into your phone, only using one bud so that you could hear if you were needed. Bringing up your music, you put the entire library on shuffle and brought up the browser, searching over a website for things to read. You smiled when you noticed your favorite author had uploaded quite a few more chapters since you last had time to read. 

You were halfway done with the first chapter when the man called for you. You quickly removed yourself from your phone and booth to approach. You saw that three out of four of them had finished their food while the irritating guy had barely touched it. “Can we get the ticket?” 

“Sure thing. I’ll be right back.” 

You comped the meal for the fourth guy. Though the guy seemed to not like monsters, it was a courtesy thing that Grillby wanted to add – to let people know that Grillby was a good guy, monster or not. You handed them the ticket and they placed down the exact amount, and got up and walked towards the door. You shook your head and began gathering the money and busing the table. “Have a good day, guys. Be safe.” 

You looked up after a few moments of silence to find them all staring at you. You raised an eyebrow. “Something else you guys need?” 

The fourth guy, who still had not spoken or shown his face, walked up to you then. You noticed he reached to his pocket and you immediately started panicking. Your breathing got harder and your eyes widened. He finally looked up and you were met with a familiar face. _Way_ too familiar. 

Panic turned to rage. 

Your gaze hardened into a fierce glare. You were furious. Breathing heavily, you straightened yourself up and clenched your fists. In turn, he smirked. 

You shook your head slightly. “I don’t know how the fuck you found me, but get out. You and your ‘friends’ are no longer welcome here, Cody.” You spat his name. Just saying it made your blood boil. 

Cody’s smirk turned into a cocky smile. “Aw, c’mon Zen! I came all this way to see ya and this is all I get?” 

You laughed humorlessly. “You really think I care? I knew you were a worthless excuse of a human being but stalking is a whole new low, even for you. Though I doubt you could really get any lower, could ya?” 

The hand that had dug in his pocket shot up suddenly to your neck as he grabbed your arm, keeping you from running. The item in his hand was incredibly sharp and your eyes widened in realization. He just laughed. 

“You really think you and your pathetic excuse of a ‘boyfriend’ could really run?” He spat the word, as if he detested even hearing it. “Be a bitch all you want, but fuckin’ a monster is a crime. I’m prepared to make sure you and the thing pay.” 

You laughed again, feeling the knife grazing against your skin. A watery warmth started flowing down your chest. “Being a parasite like you is a crime. You think you have it so fucking good that you can just go out of your way to hunt me down? You think you’re doing humanity a favor?” 

Your voice took on a challenging tone that you never thought possible. You weren’t afraid of him anymore. This was beyond wrong and the only thing you could feel was pure hatred. 

“You fucking off might do humanity a favor. Monsters are helping us. What are you doing?” You scoffed at him. “Just wasting your life being a little bitch.” 

The grip on your arm tightened and the knife edged slightly closer. You could actually feel it break skin and you could only hope that someone would intervene. Hell, if Sans showed up, you wouldn’t stop him from tossing these guys around till they were dead. 

“The little whore thinks her words mean shit? We’ll see what you have to say after I take away that ability to speak, huh?” The knife releases its hold on your neck and moves to your mouth. “Open wide, sweetheart.” 

Just then, the kitchen door swings open so hard that it hits the wall to its side and you can practically hear the wall crumble a bit. Cody looks up and you can see Grillby glowing within his eyes. “The fuck’re you?” 

Grillby’s hand grips Cody’s hand, the one that is holding the knife, and you see it start to glow blue. The heat from his hand is intense, almost like sticking your hand into a bonfire. The sizzling of skin within makes you smile, though the scream that follows is enough for you to start giggling. 

Cody releases his grip on the knife and pulls his hand away to cradle it. Grillby steps in front of you, glowing blue and flickering angrily. His flames are significantly bigger, making his form look massive and muscular. You take in the appearance, noting he has grown several feet taller, and you can see the humanoid form within the flames has gotten much more buff. Still slender as ever, but now you can see why Sans doesn’t push his limits. 

“Leave.” Grillby’s voice commands, cutting every other noise off in the process. His voice matches his new form, booming and deep, much clearer, and sounds almost like there is more than one voice. 

Cody, the idiot, decides to challenge Grillby. “Fuck you, cunt. Me and the bitch behind ya were havin’ a conversation. Now if you wouldn’t mind, fuck off.” 

You giggle, causing the angry hamster to look around Grillby to see you. “The fuck you laughin’ about?” 

You smile kindly at him, though it doesn’t reach your eyes. “This is my friend Grillby. He owns this place, and he wants ya to leave. I suggest you listen, otherwise you’re in for a bad time.” On cue, Grillby’s flames burst towards the four men, scaring them and forcing them to run out of the bar. As they are out of sight, Grillby’s flames die down to normal levels. He promptly turns around and pulls you with him towards the kitchen, but he doesn’t stop there. He’s leading you to the stairs to his home. 

Part of you is excited that you finally get to view his home, but as you walk up the stairs, your trembling legs give way to the fear that the adrenaline rush staved. By the time you walk in the door to his home, you can barely stand. He leads you to a large couch and makes you sit. He walks away towards his little personal kitchen and begins preparing tea. Once that is done, he sets the tea in front of you and walks to his bedroom, finding a small throw blanket and brings it out to you. You nod and accept it with a small smile. He sits next to you and you both sit in silence for a while. When you finally reach for the tea, which has cooled down to a drinkable temperature, he speaks up. 

“Who was he?” His voice is soft and silky; clear. 

“My ex. That’s the guy that made Sans and me move.” 

“Sans told me that he was in jail.” 

“Was.” 

He remained silent after that, probably contemplating everything, when his phone began to ring. You sipped at your tea as he answered it. You could faintly hear another person on the other end, but couldn’t make them out.

“Sans, we are upstairs.” Oh. 

Just then, a knock sounded from the door. Grillby opened and revealed a stressed-looking skeleton. He stepped in but slowed his gait as he took in your appearance. You couldn’t even begin to imagine what you looked like now. The fear was beginning to subside but- 

You remembered the cut on your neck. His eyelights were most definitely set on it. Grillby must have just noticed it as well because his flames sputtered and he quickly wandered away. Sans slowly walked over and sat on the little coffee table in front of you. You held out your hand and he took it, gingerly feeling it but his gaze was still on your neck. You turned your head away from him, attempting to hide the gash. You weren’t sure if it worked, but you knew the blood didn’t exactly help your attempt. 

Grillby appeared beside you and sat on the spot next to you on the couch. He had a medkit in his lap and as he brought your gaze to him, he gestured silently to your neck. You revealed it to him and he began unwrapping the kit, gathering bandages and handing a bottle of hydrogen peroxide with a bundle of gauze to Sans. You grimaced as you sat back. Might as well be slightly comfortable while your skin is being assaulted. 

As Sans began dabbing at your wound with the stinging fluid, he spoke up. “What happened? The dogs said a group of guys were here, that their souls were wrong, and that one of them attacked you.” 

You huffed a laugh. “That’s pretty much what happened.” 

He looked at you, his gaze set in a serious yet concerned glare. “What. Happened.” 

You sighed. “Cody happened.” 

His eyelights disappeared, the air started to get heavy, and it began smelling of ozone. You could make out the faint yellow smoke coming from his left eye socket. Grillby placed a hand on Sans’s shoulder, causing the skeleton to jump. 

“He’s back, Sans.” 

Sans looked to you, his eyelights tiny pinpricks within his eye sockets. You held his gaze as a silent agreement passed between the both of you. Grillby seemed to feel quite awkward and made to get up. As he shifted his weight on the couch, you grabbed his hand. He stopped moving and glanced at you. 

“I wanted to thank you… for earlier.” You said, slowly. “I know you hate violence but that guy really needed it.” 

Grillby shook his head. “If he does that again, I cannot guarantee that he will leave this bar.” 

Your eyes widened as Sans let out a choked laugh. You blinked a few times before chuckling. “Then let’s make sure he leaves this town for good.” 

 

An hour later and Grillby closed the bar early. Sans ended up driving you back to the monsters’ estate, arriving to a slightly surprised Toriel. 

“What are you both doing home so early?” She asked. 

You glanced at Sans as he glanced at you. “Tori, can we, uh, talk in the kitchen?” 

Her brow furrowed but she nodded. As you walked into the kitchen, she began pouring you and Sans a cup of coffee and handed you both a plate of cinnamon-butterscotch pie. You smiled and thanked her as you took a bite. You couldn’t trust yourself to speak, so you looked to Sans. 

He sighed as he began. “Tori, we’re gonna have a problem soon.” At her confused stare, he continued. “Remember the reason why we left Texas?” She nodded. “Well, that reason made his way here. Somehow he found Zen and physically attacked her at Grillby’s.” Audible gasp. “Grillby got him to leave with a small burn, but the guy had a knife to her throat, Tori. I don’t like this.” 

“I do not either, Sans. My dear,” she turned to you, “I doubt that you want to take days off at Grillby’s or Muffet’s, and I very much doubt that you want to stay cooped up in this home until they leave. What would you want to do?” 

“Tori, he’s not gonna leave. We either get the authorities involved or we live on eggshells for the time being.” 

She nodded. “Then I think it best to tell Asgore about this. For now, I do not want either of you alone while you are outside of this home, do I make myself clear?” The use of her stern-as-fuck mother voice could not have been any clearer. 

“Absolutely.” You said.   
“Crystal.” Said Sans. 

Your phone chimed as the other two began talking about what would need to be done. You took it out of your pocket and found a text message from a blocked number. You glared at the phone for a few moments before opening the text to see what it said. 

 

**Blocked Number:** Don’t start thinking you’re safe, bitch.


	22. Reaper

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So uh, here again, with like... a 1k word longer chapter?
> 
> Yea. I have shit planned. This is the angst chapter. Have _fun._
> 
> Song for early in the chapter ;) [Clicky Me!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHzIICY4iWo)
> 
> Also, don't be afraid to let me know if you find spelling/grammatical errors. I'll fix them if you find them!
> 
> ~LadyP

Your eyes opened slowly, groaning as light filtered through and the annoying sound of your alarm blared. Even though it was a song you knew could wake you, and you actually liked the song itself, you wanted your phone dead as soon as possible. 

You lifted your head from the fluffy pillow and glared at the expensive noise-maker. A shuffle and groan came from behind you, causing a smirk to break across your face. “Turn it oooofffff~” Sans groaned from behind you. You giggled as you settled back down onto the pillow. 

“Nah. I like the song.” He growled – actually growled, and reached over you to grab at your phone. His ribs pressed into your side as his weight was fully on you. “Jeez, could you be any heavier?” 

He stopped his advances towards your device to look back towards you, grinning mischievously. Just as you were regretting that previous statement, he went deadweight. The air was pressed from your lungs as you groaned and began to struggle underneath him. A knock at the door silenced you both. 

“If you two are awake, Asgore and I would like to speak with you.” 

“We’ll be down in a bit!” 

You glared back at the skeleton atop you and attempted to wriggle out from under him or at least push him off. It wasn’t working so you accepted your fate of rolling off the bed and taking him with you. 

“Long live the King.” 

You grabbed him around his waist and proceeded to roll. He made a choking noise as your weight finally dipped over the edge and sent you both to the ground. You hit the floor with an ‘umph’ and a clatter of bones. You both erupted into a fit of giggles as you made to get up and grab your phone, finally turning off the alarm. It was two hours until you had to leave for work. 

You both got into suitable clothing and made your way to the kitchen and to the awaiting faces of Asgore and Toriel. They were sitting at the kitchen table, eating a light breakfast and drinking cups of coffee and tea. A plate and mug were set out for both you and Sans. As you sat down, the two of them finished the conversation they were engaged in and you and Sans ate the breakfast provided. It was a simple omelet filled with mushrooms and cheese, but was definitely satisfying. 

Asgore cleared his throat, getting your attention. “Zenyth, I am sure that you know why Toriel has gathered us here?” You nod. “Good, because I do not. Would you care to explain?” 

You quickly glared at Toriel before explaining to Asgore about the previous days events. How Cody and you were separated long before Sans entered your life, how the two of you refused to acknowledge each other afterwards. You told Asgore that the day that Cody found you defending Sans at work was probably the day it all started. He continued to harass Sans and was the person who organized the group who attacked Sans, nearly killing him. 

That he was the one who organized the attack at your work that left you battered, bruised, and bloody. 

That him being at Grillby’s bar yesterday was not a coincidence, that Cody wanted you guys dead or hurt. Sans went on to mention something about LV, and how their LV back when they attacked him had already been above three. You didn’t understand but since Asgore and Toriel both darkened their expressions and looked the angriest you had ever seen, you knew it was nothing good. You still wanted an explanation. 

“Wait, what’s LV?” 

All three of the monsters looked at you, suddenly guilty. Sans’s eye sockets went dark and he refused to really look at you. 

Asgore spoke up for them all. “Well, my dear, LV is short for LOVE, which is an acronym for ‘Level of Violence’. Monsters can see this in a person, and if their level is above a zero, then they have killed either a human or a monster, or both. The higher the number, the more they have killed. So for these _boys_ to have numbers higher than three, they have killed quite a few people.” 

You started at him for a moment, processing this information. So not only could monsters see souls, but they could see how good or evil a person was by simply looking at… 

“So, everyone has stats, like video games, correct?” 

Sans huffed a laugh and nodded. “Yea. A monster has stats detailing our HP, our Attack, and our Defense values. LV makes you stronger, but you lose yourself, and start losing your soul. The higher the LV, the more… inhuman and dangerous you become.” 

This was intriguing. “So, what are your guys’ stats? Do I have numbers, too?” 

Sans nodded. “Yea, you have stats. I don’t know what Tori or Asgore’s stats are, but mine…” His eyelights bounced back into his eye sockets as his brow furrowed. “I haven’t actually checked mine since I got shot.” 

His hand spread over his chest and hovered before slowly moving away, revealing a small white and upside down heart. You creased your eyebrows, confused as to why his soul was like that. His eyes seemed distant, seeing something you couldn’t. 

It only took a few more moments before the heart sunk back into his chest and he gazed up at you, smiling. 

“Well, my uh, my stats actually changed.” You saw Toriel shift closer from the edge of your vision. 

“Sans, what do you mean?” He looked towards her. 

“My HP.” Both Asgore and Toriel perked up. “It’s a 10.” 

Their jaws dropped, though Toriel quickly reached up to cover hers, and tears threatened to spill. You looked to him, confused. He smiled sheepishly. 

“My HP has always been a 1. Anything could kill me if they hit me.” Your eyes widened. Your head shook, incredulous. 

“Then how the hell did you survive a _bullet wound?_ ”

“My HP can go into the decimals. When I uh, made it to your room? I was already down to point two three.” 

Your brows furrowed even further as you thought about what had been explained. Everyone had these stats, and it mattered. Real life was quite literally a video game, though nobody knew the rules and there wasn’t a developer. 

And Sans… His HP has always been a measly 1.  
  
You looked to Toriel, then to Asgore, a silent question passing through you to them. They look to each other for a few moments before turning back to you. “Zenyth, both Tori and I have more than enough HP. As for our attack and defense, we both have 80 points to both.” 

“Then what are my stats?” You asked nobody in particular, but got a small nervous noise from Sans’ direction. 

“I’d uh, I’d have to bring out your soul again.” 

“I’m fine with that.” 

The yellow blush returns. “Uh, if… if you’re okay with that then.” 

His hand slowly moves towards your chest, the fingers spreading slightly. When the hand finally met your chest, you noted how warm it was even through your clothing. As he pulled it away, a pulling feeling unpleasantly spread across your entire being, and with a final pop, something was removed, leaving your body grossly empty feeling. You gazed down to his hand and saw your little blue soul carefully cradled within. The yellow around it had grown more prominent, and was swirling around the blue soul as if it were a transparent shell. Your soul was pulsing along with your heart, which was unfortunately beating just a little too fast for your liking. 

“Uh, okay, you’ll have to bring up the stats yourself. Just focus on the center of your soul and think about the stats. It’ll pop up if you do it right.” 

You nodded and focused on nothing else other than the soul. The pulsing calmed down as you thought about what Sans had instructed. Life was a video game, and you really had stats. You were getting excited just thinking about it that your soul began to pulse erratically and finally pulled up your stats. 

**“Zenyth”**

**LV 1  
HP 200/200**

**AT 10  
DF 120**

“Whoa.” You said breathlessly. _They weren’t kidding_ , you thought. 

Sans was watching you nervously, eyelights flickering from your soul to your face every so often. Toriel and Asgore shifted in their seats, looking impatient. 

Before you responded, you took notice of the **LV** stat, and were glad it showed a 1, and not something higher. You’ve done nothing to warrant a higher number, but nonetheless, it worried you. You were surprised, however, at the amount of HP you had. Considering your other stats, that was kind of absurd. 

“So, uh, which of my stats do you wanna know?” You asked in a slightly trembling voice. 

“Your health points, attack, and defense, please.” Asgore requested. You sighed. 

“My health is 200, my attack is 10, and my defense is 120.” 

Sans’ eyes widened and Toriel gasped. Asgore simply chuckled. “Well, my dear, your health points number is impressive. I am surprised you have higher defense, though.” The last sentence seemed to come out of him with a slight hint of jealousy. 

A sudden question wrung through your mind. “What about Frisk’s stats?” 

Toriel let out a small cough and a nervous smile spread across her face. “I believe that Frisk’s stats are fairly normal for a human child her age. Her HP is 20, while her attack and defense are 10.”

Sans’ small scoff went unnoticed by the two goat monsters, but you glared at him, to which he shrugged. 

“Oh!” Asgore exclaimed as his fist slammed into his open palm. “Sans! I must ask that you come with me to the firm and input your information about the protections. I will have you returned here in time for Zenyth to go to work.” 

With that, Sans kissed you upon the forehead and him and Asgore left to work on the security issue. Toriel set herself to cleaning up the kitchen, which left you to simply relax and get freshened up before work. After a quick shower, you sat in your room with only a towel, viewing assignments for college, social media sites, and whatever else you could do with the hour you still had. The assignments were all fairly easy, only requiring you to look up information about listed mythological creatures so that you could determine how they would fit into modern times and where a new location for them would be, if they needed it. Seemed simple and easy enough. 

You pulled up YouTube to watch a few videos before finally turning on iTunes and letting some music play. The first song to come up was definitely a mood changer. Ever since you first heard it, nothing else this band did ever compared. 

On top of that, you could sing both parts, to which you were ecstatic. Your voice readied itself to go near baritone levels. 

_“Rita, where have you gone. I’ve been missing you for far too long. I feel so blue, haven’t you heard? I am the lonesome rider, hear the lonesome rider’s call home.”_

You began to get dressed for another day at Grillby’s, though your head was lost in the rhythm of the song and couldn’t help but shimmy on your shirt. You get your voice prepared for the alto section. 

_“Reaper, where have you gone. See the lonesome rider carry on. His pain’s so blue, haven’t you heard? He is the lonesome rider, it’s the lonesome rider’s call home.”_

You hadn’t realized, both due to getting clothing on and shuffling around the room and to the volume of the music, that both Toriel and Sans were listening in, floppy ear and ear-hole-thing pressed to the door. Toriel was smiling wide, nearly glowing in both surprise and awe. Sans, on the other hand, was glowing quite literally in a warm yellow color, his thoughts swimming in bliss. 

_”Just feel all the love I’m giving you. I’m back from the war; I’ve been missing you. Where have you gone, my baby blue? I’m here all alone; I’ve been bleeding, too.”_

You sat at the weird little vanity you had acquired and began styling your hair. Not that it needed much to it, since the left side was shaved, but for some reason your hair was unruly on days like today and preferred to flow over both sides, not just one. You thought about putting it into a small braid, but it would have been too much work. Instead, you just put it into a high, right side ponytail. 

_“Reaper, please take him home. He’s been wandering for far too long. He feels so blue, haven’t you heard? He is the lonesome rider; it’s the lonesome rider’s call home.”_

You got up from the vanity to check the time, which said you had about twenty minutes before you had to be there. Plenty of time to get another cup of coffee.

 _“Just feel all the love I’m giving you. I’m back from that wa_ AAAAAH-“ 

You screamed as the two monsters, goat-mother and milk-bag, stared at you with both shock and guilt. Your face erupted in flames and you were sure you were nearing beet-red in color. Hands covering your face, you made your way towards the stairs before yelling, “Tori, there’d better be coffee ready or SO HELP ME.” 

The shuffles behind you only made you smirk as you rounded into the kitchen, and luckily, there was fresh coffee. You poured yourself a cup and glared at the doorway as the two _guiltiest_ looking monsters you’d ever seen walked through. 

You hitched an eyebrow high as you caught your boyfriends’ eyelights. “Sans.” 

He twitched at the tone of your voice. It was rough, definitely agitated, with a slight hint of playfulness. “Yes?” He dragged out the response as his nervous smile dragged upwards to one side. 

You sighed into your cup of coffee before responding with, “You know, there’s a very, very thin line between singing when you want to be heard, and singing when you don’t.” Sip. 

“I don’t know, babe, you were uh, pretty into it…” His hand nervously reached up to scratch his skull. The scratching slowed to a stop as his eyes widened and he slowly turned his gaze towards you, catching your wide eyes staring. 

You blinked a few times. “…babe?” 

He fake-coughed. “Uh, yea… I didn’t mean to uh, let that slip. Do you – Do you not like it?” 

You cocked your head. You honestly weren’t sure. You never liked the word ‘babe’ but for some reason when Sans said it… it sounded better. 

“No, no I like it.” Your glare hardened. “Still doesn’t excuse you or little miss Toriel for eavesdropping. And I still prefer ‘love’ more.” 

At the sound of her name she giggled and attempted to stifle it once your gaze turned towards her. “Well, my child, the music was on quite loudly and if you do not wish to be heard, then perhaps, you shouldn’t sing quite so loud?” 

How fucking loud were you. 

You groaned into your hand and shook your head. “I don’t have the time or patience to deal with this, I need to go to work.” You chuckled as you set the coffee cup down and headed upstairs to grab your effects. You made sure to say goodbye to Toriel before leaving, but of course, not before you threatened to turn Frisk and her husband into your loyal followers if she ever eavesdropped again. She looked horrified but evermore challenging. Her sly smile as you waved goodbye was all you needed to see before you knew something was going to be completely wrong when you got home. 

 

As you arrived at Grillby’s, glad to finally be away from Toriel and the shenanigans that she would no doubt involve you in later, you saw that one of the tables was filled with the girls again. They had become regulars, at poor Grillby’s demise. They gave him great tips but he just couldn’t deal with the idea of them getting incredibly handsy. 

You waved as you passed them and they all waved back. The dogs were in great spirits, though seemed to be completely engrossed in a game of poker. All of their snouts were pointed towards Greater Dog and as he put his cards down, the rest of the dogs howled. He won again. 

You lightly punched Sans in the shoulder as he left your side to sit in his assigned seat at the bar. You were surprised that the seat didn’t have his bony imprints in it by now with how often he came in and for how long he stayed. You reached behind the bar for a bottle of whatever condiment that Grillby had stocked today, finding barbeque sauce. Shrugging to yourself, you handed it to Sans and raised your eyebrow in a silent question. He reached for it, opened it, and took a tentative sip. A smile spread across his face and he shrugged. You shook your head as you smiled and laughed, and made your way towards the kitchen to find Grillby. 

You find him at the stove, cooking some burgers. There’s already fries in the fryer. “Hey Grillby.” 

He looks in your direction and you immediately know that he’s begging. You laugh heartily at him. “No worries, Grillbz, I got them.” He sighs and goes back to focusing on the burger. As it finishes, he plates and hands it to you. “…For Sans.” 

You nod and take it out to your skeletal boyfriend. He’s still at the bar but one of the girls seems to have made her way to the bar to sit next to him. You place the food in front of him, making him jump slightly, but he smiles anyway. “Thanks, babe.” 

You roll your eyes and shake your head. It was still weird hearing it but oh well. You focus your attention onto the girl. “So, what brings you this far north?” 

She giggles and points towards the kitchen door. “Waiting for Grillby, are we?” 

“Of course. I know he’s taken but, c’mon, he’s still one hell of a catch.” You cover your mouth to hide the smile that has formed. 

“I can kinda agree on that. Aren’t you the one that got a handful of his squish?” Sans coughs against the bite of burger that he probably just choked on and the girl laughs. 

“Yes, I did.” She says between giggles. “And I’ll tell you what, that was some grade a squish.” 

You and the girl broke into giggles as Sans groaned and mumbled something. Not quite catching it, you leaned towards him with your upper half on the bar counter. “What was that? Sorry, I didn’t catch it.” 

He growled as he pulled his hood up and over his face. In doing so, he allowed you to see the light yellow blush. Your smile grew. “Aw, don’t tell me we’re bothering you, babe.” 

“S’not botherin’ me.” 

“Lies.” 

He growls again as Grillby comes out of the kitchen. You turn and noticed he’s faltered, staring directly at the girl. You could barely see the blue blush that formed, but it was there. You were about to tease him when Sans’ phone went off. You turned as he answered. 

His brow was furrowed as the person on the other end spoke. He sighed. “Yea, yea, I’ll be there n’a bit.” 

He stood up and looked at you. “Sorry, Asgore is requesting me. I’ll be back in a few hours.” 

“M’kay.” You said while leaning over the counter once more. He smirked as he also leaned forward to give you a goodbye kiss before heading out the door. 

The girl to your right shook her head and smiled. “You two are precious.” 

An hour into your shift and the girl went back to her table, to which they all had ordered mixed drinks. Apparently they were here to celebrate the fact that their midterms were over. Being a college student yourself, you asked Grillby about making those on the house. After explaining how stressful midterms could be, he gladly allowed it. They surprised you as they left, as they still gave you a tip that more than made up for the drinks. You were busing their table when you saw a note under a plate stating that they would be back for dinner. 

You gave the note to Grillby and he made sure the table was reserved. 

 

It was around dinner time, nearing 7 P.M., when the girls finally came in. They weren’t as lively as usual, which was surprising. Two of them moped and just stirred their drinks while the others simply remained quiet. Concerned, you walked up to their table and sat down in the empty chair. A few of them looked up to smile at you, but that smile didn’t reach their eyes. You have never seen them like this in the few months you knew them. 

“Girls, what’s going on?” You asked, concern riddling your voice. The girls remained silent for a few moments before erupting in whines and screeches, scaring you and everyone else within the four walls of the bar. 

“We missed out on tickets to the Bieber concert.” 

All thoughts ceased for you. Your blank mind wanted to scream and laugh, but instead you simply rubbed your face with your hand. 

“You guys actually had me worried for you.” You said, exasperated. “I thought something was seriously wrong.” 

“But it _is_ wrong! We missed out and now we’ll never seem him!” They all groaned and laid their heads upon the table. You snickered. 

“Well I’m glad I’ll never be able to see him. Honestly, I’m glad you guys won’t either. Makes me happy.” 

You got up to head back towards the bar as the girls all started a rant about you. Grillby was polishing a glass rather slowly, and you knew this only happened when he was thinking about something deeply. 

“Grillby, what’s up?” You asked as you grabbed another glass to start polishing it. He sighed and set down the glass, leaning his hip against the bar and facing you. Uh oh.

“…Gaster.” 

Yep. Exactly what you thought. His flames died down as he said the name. “Is today something special to you guys?” He shook his head. 

“…You haven’t… mentioned him in… a while.” 

“Yea, he hasn’t shown up. Sans and I think he used too much magic so he’s probably storing up again.” A thought comes to your mind then. 

“Grillby, I’ve never actually seen pictures of him besides the news and what I can find online. Do you have any of you two?” His flames perked up with excitement as he walked to the kitchen door. That was actually quite adorable. 

A few moments later, Grillby returns with a single picture in hand, and hands it to you. It’s a photo of him and Gaster, at what looks like a beach, possibly this Illaria Beach they’ve mentioned. The sun was setting in the background, but of course, Grillby kept it lit up. Gaster was smiling in contentment, his right eye closed as Grillby had his head pressed against Gasters’ skull. _Wait._

“Grillbz, are you…?” You looked to him just in time to see the flicker of white pass through his body. Your smile lit up as you turned back to the photo. They really were an adorable couple, and Gaster looked so damn happy. 

He tapped your shoulder then, and as you looked back to him, he pointed towards the girls. You raised an eyebrow. “Show them?” He nodded. 

You giggled as you walked around the bar and walked towards the table. “Girls, look, you may have missed out on a pointless concert, but here.” You handed the photo to one of them and she squealed. The others jumped out of their chairs and surrounded the girl with the photo, and they all made ‘aww’ noises in sync. 

“This is his, uh…” One of them questioned. 

“Mhm. That’s his husband.” 

More cute noises. Turning back to Grillby, he had his head rested on the bar as he was flickering between blue and white. 

Giggling, you held a hand out for the photo. “Alright girls, gotta save him.” They all giggled and you made your way back to Grillby and handed him the photo. He took it and looked at it for a few moments. 

“Grillbz, you two are really adorable. I hope I’ll be able to see this happen again.” He chuckled, a deep and airy sound within the crackles and pops. 

“…Perhaps.” 

You reached over with one arm and wrapped it around his waist in a partial hug, to which he returned. You smiled as he still held the photo. 

“Maybe you should frame it. Put it around the bar or something. Remind you to keep goin’.” 

He paused for a bit, contemplating. One of the patrons called for you and you left to take care of their needs. They simply needed a refill of their drink and, once done, you were next to Grillby once again. He had his phone out and you could see the browser up, searching for picture frames. You nudged his shoulder and gave him a kind smile. 

You swear you saw a jagged white line upon his face make the telltale sign of a smile. 

 

It was closing time at Grillby’s, finally, and you were definitely more than ready to go home and relax. Sans hadn’t come by, but had sent a text a few hours back saying that he’d be with Asgore for a while longer. You assumed he was still with the King, so didn’t worry. After all, he’d only be a hindrance to you as you attempted to clean the bar. 

Grillby hadn’t spoken much since he showed you the photo. You would occasionally catch him staring off, probably lost in his memories. 

You were cleaning off tables and making sure they were polished when he began to stare off yet again. He almost dropped a glass and, as he fumbled to catch it, startled you. A hand reached up to behind his head and rested there as his cheeks turned blue. 

“Grillby.” You spoke his name to get him to look in your direction. “What was Gaster like?” 

This took him back. You could tell he didn’t expect the question. Sans hadn’t really mentioned anything about him since it was a sensitive subject, and you couldn’t ask the guy himself. 

A soft puff of smoke was released as Grillby set the glass down. “…He was logical… Everything could… be explained… He was dedicated… Always spending time… attempting to complete something… or find answers.” 

His chest shook in a simple scoff. “He was impatient… Brusque. But yet… He was passionate… Caring. Sans got his… humor… from Gaster… from Din.” 

Seeing Grillby in such ease warmed your heart. You softly smiled at him, but a question was raging inside. 

“How old are you two?” You remember Asgore mentioning something about pre-war monsters, and you knew the War had been several hundred years ago. 

Grillby’s flames sputtered, letting you know he was nervous. “…I am… near 700 years old… As for Din, I believe… He is around 800 years…” 

You shook your head and blinked a few times before truly comprehending. Your eyes widened. Pre-War. Both Grillby and Gaster were Pre-War monsters. Ho-Ho-Holy shit. 

“Wait. Wait. Wait.” You looked to him, mouth opening and closing a few times before finally managing to get more words out. “So you’re both Pre-War, but you’ve only been dating for… how long?” 

He chuckled as you grabbed the broom from the corner and began to sweep the floor. 

“Roughly 400 years… give or take… We only got… engaged recently.” 

You smiled and laughed. 

You were about to comment something lewd when the giant wall-sized window behind you shattered. You ducked and shielded your face with your hands, hoping that it would be enough to keep any shards from damaging you. Surprisingly, you didn’t feel anything hit your back. 

You slowly turned around to see the entirety of the window on the floor, spilling both into the bar and onto the sidewalk outside. Among the glass spillage was a large rock, about the size of your head. A piece of paper was glued to it and as you picked up the rock, you read what the note said. 

“Monster-fucking cunts deserve to die.” 

You smiled maliciously and hurriedly walked out the window onto the sidewalk. You glanced around and saw nobody, but you were pretty sure they were watching from somewhere. 

“Cody! Be a pansy-ass motherfucker somewhere else, yea?!” You screamed into the wind as you threw the rock into the alley besides the bar. You were growling as you walked back inside to see Grillby on the phone. You were so angry that you couldn’t hear the crunching of glass beneath you. Something within you was beating heavily, and you knew it wasn’t your heart, but it definitely didn’t feel like your soul. 

You were furious. Your body was incredibly hot, though you weren’t sweating or overheating. It felt like you were… on fire, but it wasn’t actually hurting you. You looked at your hands and found them trembling and clenched into fists. Your breathing began to pick up as you felt cool hands on your shoulders. Looking up, Grillby was there, looking very worried. 

Why were his hands cold? 

“… You need to… go home. I called the… authorities. They’ll… be here soon.” 

You nodded and walked outside, beginning to feel quite numb in your movements. You weren’t calm by any means, but the feeling was beginning to scare you. You turned the corner to the parking lot to find your car missing. Frustrated, you walked back towards the bar. 

“Grillby, my car isn’t there.” He looked up and nodded. 

“We will wait… until someone… gets here.” 

It wasn’t long before a few officers managed to get there, and Grillby finally took you home. You bid him farewell and went inside. 

You turned right and into the living room, finding nearly every monster there, save for Sans. Your eyebrows furrowed. 

“Guys.” You began, but as every head whipped in your direction, Toriel bounded up and embraced you. 

“My child, are you alright?” 

“Um, yea, I’m fine. A little stunned and I feel… weird, but otherwise okay. Where’s Sans?” 

She tensed. 

“My dear, he walked to the bar around nine. Did he not…?” 

The silence in the room was thick with tension. Sans hadn’t made it home. Your car was missing. Grillby’s bar was attacked. 

You had finally moved past anger but here it was raring back up again. Your body reacted again, getting hot quickly and setting into panic mode. Your breathing picked up and you began to feel lightheaded, chest heavy. 

You faintly felt Toriel put her paws on either side of your face, but you couldn’t see her. The world was red and purple and black and blue. 

“ZENYTH!” You jumped as Toriel screamed at you. You stared at her, fearful of what she might do, but instead she looked terrified. “You said you did not see Sans at Grillby’s?” 

“No… No, he wasn’t there.” 

Toriel glanced at the other monsters who all looked just as stunned as you felt. You shook your head in disbelief. _This was not fucking happening._

“Tori, I’m going to my room.” Your voice quivered and before she could protest, you sprinted up the stairs to your room and slammed the door. You sat on your bed, numb. 

You were angry.

You were terrified. 

…

…

…

You were calm. 

...

...

...

...

You wanted Cody dead.


	23. Frisk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally a bit of backstory for Frisk and an update on what's been happenin' with Gaster! 
> 
> I'm actually sorry that it took so damned long for me to update. I don't like waiting longer than like a day or two to post. It feels wrong. 
> 
> Remember: These thingies ( -- ) mean Frisk is speaking in SL. 
> 
> ANYWAYS. Hope you guys enjoy :D
> 
>  
> 
>  _Post-Upload Update_ : Okay so, I said screw it and upped the Rating and changed a couple of... uh... tags. Shiz is gonna happen and I'm totally not sorry.

Sans woke slowly, his mind swimming sluggishly as his eyes struggled to make out the world around him. His skull began to swell with pain, and a headache was beginning to fight its way through the haze. Groaning, he moved to sit up. His bones creaked and ached from the hard ground he had been lying on. He grabbed at the bones of his left eye socket as it began to throb. Upon fully opening his eye sockets, he found the room he was in was completely unfamiliar. 

It was a small room with grey walls and floors. A desk sat on the right wall with a small desk chair, and a window was set high up on the wall behind him. It was almost reminiscent of the room him and the others monsters had stayed several hours in for interrogations when they had just reached the surface. 

He stood up and made his way towards the window and looked outwards. The scene outside was, again, unfamiliar. The building he was in was on a dirt lot next to the shore to a beach. There were several other buildings that weren’t labeled and there were a few cars littered around. Most of them were beat up for relatively standard, but one was high-tech and most definitely cost someone a fortune. He pressed closer to the window and attempted to get a better view but was interrupted by a shuffling of feet through the door. 

He quickly backed away from the window and settled himself into a corner, glaring at the door as two men walked in. He didn’t recognize these two and was disappointed that Cody hadn’t walked in. He must have expressed this as the men scoffed and sneered at him. 

Sans attempted to call upon his magic, but failed. His brows knit together in confusion. It didn’t feel that his magic had been taken, it just felt as if he could no longer call upon it; like it was blocked. 

“Nu-uh. None of that, freak.” The man on the right spoke up, pure disgust riddling his features. He was older, as Sans could see wrinkles at the corners of his eyes. “We can see ya attempin’ to activate that magic of yours. Not workin’ so well, is it?” 

Sans said nothing, resorting to simply glaring. 

That only pissed the older guy off. With a growl he approached Sans and grabbed at his turtle neck, pulling it and forcing Sans to be mesh with his face. “This room’s gonna be your home till that whore of yours starts listenin’.” 

Sans’ glare became dangerous. “Why the fuck should she listen to you?” 

The man smiled humorlessly. “If she wants to keep ya alive and well, she’ll listen.” 

Sans said nothing more and kept his emotions in check. They were quite literally going to use her for their sick purpose of whatever-the-fuck. He began developing a feeling of unease and suspicion; that even if she did listen, something was going to happen. 

“So, freak, gotta question for ya. If ya answer honestly, we’ll leave ya be.” Sans nodded and closed his eyes. 

“What’re your powers, huh?” His eyes snapped open. They didn’t know? Well then, I’m not telling them the important shit. 

“I summon bones.” Vague answer, check. 

“Bones, okay. What can you do with said bones?” 

“Throw ‘em.” Sans’ expressions were hidden on the outside but on the inside, he was smiling. They were getting irritated and he could see the agitation building in the older man. 

“I don’t have time for this shit. What can you do with the bones?” Sans rolled his eyes. 

“I just throw ‘em. Can make ‘em dull or sharp, use ‘em as weapons or use ‘em as shields. That’s it.” 

The man growled and stood up, facing towards the younger man. They exchanged silent words and left the room, leaving Sans to his own devices. He sighed and closed his eyes. He attempted to summon his powers again, but yet again, came across the barrier that denied his powers. He growled in frustration but was quickly cut off when he thought of his situation. He dug into his pockets to find them empty, his phone missing. 

He shook his head and pulled his hood over his head. He curled further into the corner and resigned himself to dealing with this as long as he could. He closed his eyes once more as his thoughts drifted to you and the family. 

He could only hope you wouldn’t fall for whatever trap they were setting. 

_____________________________________

 

You opened your eyes, finding them sore and burning from a mixture of a lack of sleep and crying. Sans was gone, and there was nothing you could do. At least, not right away. You figured Cody and that damned group had gotten him but there was no way to prove that and no way to locate them. Your vision cleared and you finally got to see the empty bed before you. You had been so used to Sans laying next to you that just seeing the large bed missing a certain weight made it seem colder than usual. 

You slowly and groggily sat up in bed and decided you didn’t really want to be in the bed. It felt wrong and it gave you a sense of emptiness. You hated the feeling. As you slipped out of bed, your mood began to sour. You were angry and wanted nothing less than death for Cody for causing this, but he could wait. The most important thing on your list was getting Sans back safely. 

You made your way over to the little library in the corner of your room and found Sushi fast asleep in one of the beanbags. You smiled at the old cat, a little jealous that she could sleep so peacefully. The old cat could really care less for things outside of this room, but the fact she hadn’t noticed something missing was odd…

Maybe she hadn’t actually woken up yet. 

You poke at her and receive a grumble and snort. She stretches and looks in your direction before sitting up and padding over to her food dish. You watch her as she stops and looks towards the bed. You can just see her nose twitching before she jumps onto the bed and proceeds to inspect it. A few moments later and she hops off the bed and goes back to her food bowl. 

Hm. 

You focus back towards the library of books you have upon the wall and pick out one of your favorites. As you begin to read, you realize you keep reading the same sentence over and over again, not really grasping what the book has said, nor absorbing any of the words, period. With a frustrated groan, you place the book on the small table in front of you. You sit back in the beanbag and gaze at the ceiling, losing yourself in thought. 

You aren’t sure just how much time has passed when a knock sounds at the door. You scrunch your eyebrows together, noting the sound was too light to be Toriel. 

“Come in.” You call. 

The door opens and closes but you don’t notice who came in until the sit in the beanbag next to you, where Sushi previously sat. 

Frisk. 

She looks to you, expression unreadable. Though you’ve lived with the family for a few months, Frisk remained closed off to you. You knew she couldn’t talk and though you’ve learned a good bit of sign language, she never started a conversation with you, nor held one. You figured she didn’t trust you or at least didn’t hold you in much regard. Just because you were in a relationship with Sans didn’t mean you were truly part of the family, and you knew that. 

Frisk took a deep breath then, and moved to sign, but faltered. She looked conflicted for a few moments before signing again. 

\-- I am going to show you something, but I need you to stay calm. Please don’t freak out.

You raised an eyebrow at her, and though you were confused, you responded anyway. “Sure, Frisk. What’s up?” 

She looked away and looked almost pained for a few more moments before turning to you with a familiar expression – one that you’ve seen on her face before. She was determined. 

“Zen.” 

Wait.

What the _fu-_

“Wha-“ Words continued to fail you as your thoughts raced. She just spoke. What the hell?

“You can… You can actually speak?” 

She nodded. “I’m… I’m a selective mute. I’m sorry I haven’t spoken to you before.” Her face turned downwards and fell into an expression of guilt. “I wanted to make sure you were really who Sans said you were.” 

What Sans said you were?

“What did he say I was?” 

“He said you were trustworthy. That you valued family over yourself.” She hesitated and wrung her fingers together. “He also said he’s seen your soul, though he hasn’t… said anything else.” 

So it wasn’t that she didn’t trust you, it’s that she wanted to make sure everyone was safe. She didn’t want to say anything to someone who would bail. You smiled at her, catching her off-guard. You remember that Sans has actually seen your soul, and that you saw it in great detail. You held the soul of Integrity, which meant that not only did you know the meaning of morality, but you also knew the difference between being honest with yourself and being honest with another. 

“Frisk, I won’t tell you I am really what he has said I am, but I will tell you that we have both seen my soul. If the color is anything to go by, which is blue, you can trust me.” 

Her eyes widened and gazed into yours. Blinking a few times, she finally smiled. 

“It’s blue?” You nod. She smiles greater. “So your trait is integrity. Then you are the one human I can really trust. None of the other humans I’ve met have blue souls.” 

So, you’re unique, at least in Ebott. Sweet. 

You shake your head and laugh lightly. “I’m pretty sure this isn’t what you came in for, though, is it?” 

She smiled sheepishly and shook her head. “No. I uh, while we’re waiting for… for those guys to call, I wanted to let you know about our family history. What happened to me, why I fell into the Underground, and how I broke the barrier.” 

You looked at her in shock. She was actually going to confide in you with this? The _one_ thing that none of the others wanted to talk about, either? You exhaled slightly and nodded. 

“Okay. Are you sure?” You asked. She nodded and you sighed. “Alright then. I’m listening.” 

Frisk began by explaining her life before the Underground, which she explained was not the best. Her family was poor and homeless, living in a car that had no heat or AC. They hardly had any food to spare and when they did get food, it went to her younger sibling. One day, though, her parents came back from wherever they usually went and freaked. The police in the area arrested them and placed both Frisk and her sibling in foster care. They never saw their parents after that, as the state deemed them unfit to raise children, and Frisk and her little sibling were sent off to foster home after foster home after foster home. They finally landed in a home in Ebott, but the people were only good outside of the home. On the inside, less so. They refused to feed Frisk and constantly neglected her, though coddled and spoiled the sibling. That’s why Frisk refused to mention a name, because eventually, the sibling turned on them and began calling them worthless, that Frisk was the reason their parents were caught, that Frisk was the reason they were homeless. 

Frisk accepted those words. She didn’t care what the foster parents said, but having her sibling just repeat those words that meant nothing to her… It killed her on the inside. She stopped caring. Around then, she was only eight years old, and had lived with that family for three years. Her sibling was six and was practically raised by these people and brainwashed to believe that Frisk was a worthless heap of garbage that tore their family apart forever. 

With that, Frisk wanted to die. 

That’s when she ran away. The locals knew the stories, even if the rest of the world did not. Anyone who went near Mount Ebott was never seen again. She hoped that would be her end, to just disappear. She neared the mountain and as she looked on towards the Sunset, she felt peaceful. Her last vision of the surface was the Sunset. When she fell off the edge, she waited for death and accepted it. 

What she didn’t expect was to wake up, let alone wake up without a scratch. 

She had fallen into the Underground. She refused to mention the first monster she met, but said that Toriel was the second. She said that Toriel had tried to get her to stay in a place called the Ruins, fed her cinnamon butterscotch pie, read her stories, and gave her warm clothes and became the mother she needed and always wanted. She had a home and she was so happy, but she wasn’t finished there. She wanted to explore. Toriel wasn’t happy with her on that, and said that Toriel actually fought her. At your concerned expression, she said she’d elaborate on that later, but she wanted to continue. 

When she finally passed Toriel and left the Ruins, the next monster she met… was Sans – the original blue Sans. She laughed when she told you how they first met, which was that he held out his hand to shake. What she didn’t know is that he had a small whoopee cushion hidden on his palm. 

She looked down, her eyes going distant and a small but genuine smile playing on her features. He was the brother she didn’t know she wanted. Throughout her journey through the Underground, meeting the other monsters and fighting against them all, he stood by and watched. At first it was out of suspicion and mistrust, but soon it became care, concern, and an overall need to protect. 

Her face soon turned towards a look of disgust. She was being sentimental just a moment ago, so what changed? She looked up, anger and disgust clearly present, and saw your confusion. 

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. “Zen, Sans said that you like video games. So you know the purpose of SAVE, LOAD, and RESET, yes?” You nodded and she continued. “Well, in the Underground, that played a huge part of what I was able to do. There were these glowing yellow stars that only I could see, and those were SAVE points. I could actually save a point in my life and go back, if I just LOADed. If I died, it RESET.” 

She stopped and watched you as you took this information in. You couldn’t believe it just yet, and she knew you wouldn’t. 

“How… How many times did you RESET?” At this, Frisk twitched and shrunk in on herself. 

“Too many. I lost count at 400.” 

That is when she told you about the fights. To monsters, these ‘fights’ were actually called Confrontations. They would call upon each others’ soul and inflict damage upon the soul itself. Since monsters didn’t have a physical body, their soul was the link to how much damage they could take. You nodded and mentioned that you, Sans, Asgore, and Toriel all spoke of stats. Frisk nodded and said that her stats never increased because she never hurt anyone. Even though she was Confronted by monsters, she insisted on sparing them. Mercy, is what she called it. Most of her deaths were caused by Undyne and Mettaton, though of course some of her other deaths were due to Papyrus, random other monsters, and Asgore. 

“Around my fiftieth reset, Sans had said something different; something that he hadn’t said before. I noticed and he noticed that I noticed. That’s when I learned that Sans knew more than he was letting on. I asked him about it at some point and he told me didn’t remember, but he had items that were… that were enchanted, and they could last through the resets. Anything done with the item in the previous timeline would be saved through the next. If I died, he had a little time before the world reset, so he usually left himself a note; a reminder that something happened.” 

Her breathing quickened and her bottom lip trembled. You were confused and concerned but as you reached out to her, she shook her head. 

“I’m okay, just a difficult memory. Things weren’t always… peaceful. I can’t remember what reset it happened because when I died, I woke up as someone else. Someone dangerous. I couldn’t control my body when I woke up.” Her hands grasped her upper arms and her knees came up to her chest. “It was like watching a replay. You’re watching yourself doing these things, but you can’t do anything. Whoever had my body killed everything in the Underground. She killed every monster in the Ruins, including mom. She killed Papyrus. She killed Undyne.” 

Her head fell to her knees. “In the times when I would be in control, I would meet Sans at this place called the Judgment Hall. He was the Judge, and he could tell if you had acquired LOVE or not. If you had a little, he would let you through. If you had none, he’d congratulate you and send you on your way to Asgore, but… When _she_ took over, she would have nineteen LOVE. He watched Papyrus die.” 

She looked up to you with tears in her eyes. “He refused to let me live. He would fight until one of us died. Mostly, it was me or her. She would sometimes let me have control when he delivered the killing blow. He would kill us over and over and over until finally, she killed him. Zen,” her eyes were red and swollen from the tears that fell unbidden, but her voice was strong and unshaken. “he’s strong. He was strong as my regular Sans, the blue, punny skeleton I grew up with. Now, I assume he’s much stronger. I don’t think it’s all looks, Zen. Has he… Has he told you about his um, his shortcuts?” 

When you shook your head, she laughed. “Of course he wouldn’t! His shortcut ability is what makes Sans, well, Sans. His shortcuts allow him to teleport. I’m not sure how he does it and he’s never explained it, but that’s how he gets places without anyone noticing.” 

You furrowed your brow in thought. “Maybe that’s how he appeared in my room after he was shot. I heard a thud and saw him on my floor, but I never heard the door.” 

She nodded. “Yea, he likes to be sneaky. That’s how he avoided all of _her_ attacks. The reason I mentioned it because… he hasn’t used them yet. He hasn’t tried to come back.” 

You felt your heart skip a few beats. What did that… No. No he couldn’t be. 

Seeing your panic, she leaped up and wrapped you in a hug. “No, he’s not… Papyrus has a link to him. He’s been keeping watch since last night.” 

If he’s not dead then… 

The gamer in your mind clicked on. You remembered that in some games, they had ways to suppress abilities. Whether it was an item, a serum, or an encased room, something was required to stop the users abilities from being used. Were they suppressing Sans’ abilities somehow?

“What if… What if they’re suppressing him? Do monsters have a way to suppress another monsters’ magic?” 

Frisk gasped and backed away, but held you at arms length. You both stared at each other before she spoke. 

“Alphys. She might know.” 

You nodded but as you went to stand, a familiar sound began to play in your mind. You slowed to a stop, catching Frisk’s attention. You could see her speak, but you couldn’t hear her. 

“I need to lay down. Alphys might now, but,” you smiled, “Gaster will know for sure.” 

You were out cold before your head hit the pillow. 

_____________________________________

 

Gaster stirred within his bindings; the sticky void tendrils preventing him from moving freely. He had struggled against them for a little while, even though time played no part in the Void, he could see the outside world steadily pass by, the sun rising and falling every so often. The bindings denied him the ability to speak with his son and… 

What should he call the human? This _Zenyth_ that his son has chosen as his mate? 

Perhaps the word that human fathers call their sons’ wives: daughter-in-law. Or perhaps just daughter…

_Why were humans always complicated._

He growled against the restraints as they cut against his skin. He wouldn’t struggle against them, as it only made them tighter and constricted his magic use even more. He figured he was being further absorbed by the Void, as his communication with the two of you had broken some unspoken Law. He looked into nothingness as his thoughts began to swim. 

In the Void, nothing was everything and everything was nothing. Darkness was a figment of your imagination and light never existed. Gaster was an invader, and the Void treated him as such. It pursued him constantly, the tendrils attempting to capture him and do as they wished. He had kept himself busy with them for a time before the constant running and avoiding got boring. The tendrils had become predictable. He had began to think that letting the tendrils take him was the next step, to allowing something new to happen, when suddenly, the Void began to shimmer. Lights played around him before what seemed to be a screen. It had startled him so much that he failed to realize the tendrils were also frightened. 

The screen was flickering like mad before it finally cleared, revealing a picture of a quaint little home. The door was open slightly and there was a motorcycle parked at the closed garage. He wondered why he was being shown this, only to find out why a few moments later. A figure passed by the window, revealing a skeleton who looked strangely like him. 

He was smart enough to realize that this new skeleton was Sans. 

That was the first day he began watching life transpire without him. He learned what occurred at the University through you and Sans. He watched Sans struggle with himself, with his thoughts, only for you to be there to comfort him in a way he could only have hoped. When you both finally moved to an actual relationship, Gaster was glad, ecstatic for the both of you. He jumped with glee and made the Void shiver in his excitement. When the attacks began, he shook with rage. Nothing could have prepared him for the moment when Sans very nearly died or when you were beaten by your own kind. Gaster had transformed then, his fangs growing longer and sharper, his body becoming more and more liquefied. The Void around him denied his escape, which he grew to be slightly thankful for. 

Now that he had his… alternate form under control, the tendrils had finally captured him. The screen had long been dark, refusing to show him anything of the world. He wished to see Sans and you once again. He was so happy when he finally saw Grillby appear on screen. He could not tell you or Sans that he was watching, but he was glad to have a way to communicate. The only thing that confused him beyond compare was your rage. It burned with a familiar fire that scared, no, terrified him. Not only did seeing you in that state fill him with dread, it filled him with concern and hope. 

_But of course, these damned things deny me that luxury._

As soon as the thought ended, the tendrils released in a hurry. He fell to the nonexistent floor in a clatter of goop and flesh. Shocked, he looked around wildly until he yet again saw the screen appear. The screen flickered to life and revealed Sans. 

Gaster began to smile until he saw the condition that Sans was in. Gaster’s blood began to boil. He could _feel_ the magic-hindering field surrounding his elder son. Not just that, but how week his son was within the field. Sans was trembling and breathing heavily, yellow magic seeping from him in little wisps. 

Gaster growled as his holed hand touched the screen. Sans fell limp and appeared behind Gaster. He turned to see the look of surprise on his eldest sons face. It quickly turned into a wide smile. 

_“About time, G. Been a while.”_

Gaster shook his head and allowed a small smile to play upon his damaged lips. 

Sans, we have much to discuss, and little time to do so. Inform me of what I have missed and I will do what I can to explain. 


	24. Ghosts and Dust

_“About time, G. Been a while.”_

Sans watched Gaster shake his head and his mouth turned up in a smile, well, as much of a smile as he could make in this form.

Sans, we have much to discuss, and little time to do so. Inform me of what I have missed and I will do what I can to explain.

Sans took a deep breath. He hated the Void and everything about it. Even if it did allow him to use powers that required him to access the Void, the place freaked him out and sent a shiver down his spine nearly every time he accessed it. Seeing Gaster here, the sole inhabitant of the Void, unsettled Sans like no other. Gaster’s form was purely intangible, the edges of his form swirling with a dark energy that was similar and yet not similar to the Void. His hands and face seemed to be materialized out of nowhere, a mask and pair of gloves floating freely in the empty expanse of the Void. 

Sans could see that Gaster was growing impatient while he was taking in Gaster’s form. The Void was unstable so perhaps he only had so much time to speak with him this way. 

_“Okay, what d’you wanna know?”_

Gaster looked down for a moment, holding his chin in thought. He had missed quite a lot, and Sans seemed to be… in danger, of sorts. 

Tell me of the events that led up to your current… condition.

Sans’ eyelights disappeared as he pulled his hood over his head and shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans. This unnerved Gaster. Him and Sans shared the trait of having visible pupils and if they disappeared, it meant that a severe emotion was elevated to dangerous levels. The darkness that appeared on Sans’ face showed Gaster that it was unbridled anger. 

_”The guys that were chasing me and Zen, the guys that attacked me… They followed us to Ebott. I was on my way to Grillby’s to pick up Zen when… I-I think they knocked me out. I woke up in a room, and I couldn’t use my magic.”_

Gaster’s form trembled and wavered. If only he had a living body to use outside of the Void, he would make sure those who sought to hurt his son would never see their precious daylight again. The Void began groaning and trembling at his anger and threatened to push Sans out and back into his body. Gaster quickly calmed himself down so that he may have a few more moments. 

Sans, the room around you is suppressing your abilities. I cannot say how, but I know that it is also absorbing your magic. They were weakening you so that will not be able to attack them.

Sans nodded. _”I’m well aware of that. I’m keepin’ some stored up so when the time comes, I’ll be able to use at least one shortcut.”_

Gaster’s undamaged socket narrowed. A single shortcut? What could he possibly hope to do with one-

You cannot be serious, Sans.

Sans’ eyelights bounced back into his eye sockets and he gazed at Gaster with a solemn smile. He simply shrugged, denying Gaster an answer. 

_”I’m only saving enough magic to be able to do a shortcut. That allows me to summon quite a few bones as well. No blasters, though. I’ll do whatever I’m able to.”_

His words did nothing to comfort Gaster and only made him more irritated by his sons’ nonchalant attitude towards this event. Lives were in danger and here he was, being his lazy self. How ironic that he had to inherit his looks but not his drive. 

The Void groaned once more and the tendrils began swirling around Sans and the light that surrounded him. Gaster noticed that Sans watched the tendrils warily, unsure of what exactly they were or what motive the things had. The link he had on Sans was weakening drastically and he blamed it on the suppression field surrounding his son. Gaster looked down at his hands, opening them and revealing them to himself, and inspected the holes in his hands. He sighed, and looked back up to the awaiting stare of his son. 

Sans, our connection is severing. I cannot help you as you are or as I am. Is there something you would ask of me?

He perked up and nodded instantly. _”Talk to Zen. They don’t know what happened to me. Let them know I’m at a beach, that I’m fine. They’re probably gonna go with a ransom or a trade or somethin’ to get me back.”_ He looked down as he brought his hand up to the back of his head. _“And uh, tell Zen I miss her.”_

The corner of Gaster’s mouth turned up in a smirk. I shall. I wish for the best, Sans. Know that I am watching.

Sans nodded and waved before retreating back to his body. The screen flickered to life as Sans took a deep breath and coughed furiously. 

 

As Sans coughed, he noticed just how weak his body felt. He felt like paper, like his bones were brittle. His magic was very nearly gone, save for the hidden reserve. His bones were shaking and rattling from lack of magic, and he could actually feel the cold of the room. He curled in on himself and began to rub his hands along his arms, hoping the human custom would work on him. 

It more or less chafed his bones rather than warming them, so he stopped and just held himself tighter. He almost regretted having the light hoodie instead of his old, blue jacket. The thought made him smile, as he caught himself in the past. His old shorter self; lazy, punny, and very, very blue. Even now he could recognize the changes between that Sans and the Sans he was now. He wasn’t as lazy, he was more motivated, and he took more time on his outer image, both physically and metaphorically. 

Shaking himself out of the negative thoughts, Sans fell asleep thinking of you.

The sound of the door opening shook him out of his slumber. A single man, masked, came in and stared at him. Sans strained his head upwards to peek out the window, noting it was dark. Fear began course through his marrow as he turned back towards the figure. He stood there for nearly five minutes, saying nothing. Breathing heavily, Sans felt fear pass and dread take over. Shaking his head, he finally managed to gather enough strength to speak. 

“The fuck you want?” 

The figure turned towards the door and nodded at someone beyond. He moved over and allowed three others to come through. 

“C’mon, freak. We’re goin’ somewhere.” 

 

The room around you was darker than dark. The word ‘unsettling’ seemed to be not enough to describe this feeling, though you couldn’t think of another word. You could feel yourself turning and looking around but you had no sense of direction in this endless expanse of nothing. A low and warbled chuckle sounded behind you and you smiled. Turning, you saw the familiar face that has been missing for near three months. 

_”Hey, Gaster. Long time, no see.”_

He smirked. Indeed. We have much to discuss.

Right to business, then. 

_”Yea, actually. Uh, there’s actually an issue-“_

I am aware. I was able to visit Sans for a short time. He wanted me to inform you that he is _fine_ and that he misses you.

Anything you wanted to say dissolved before it left your lips. You stared at Gaster as if he were crazy. It had only been a day and a few hours but the worry and helplessness had made everything much worse than it was. You felt your chest tighten and you felt the tears begin to well. You knew you shouldn’t be completely relieved like you were but, fuck, you hadn’t even known he was alive. Your hand clasped over your heart as you closed your eyes and dipped your head. The tears fell into nothingness and disappeared. 

You shook your head and patted your cheeks, forcing yourself out of the moment. There were more important things right now than to be excited over this. 

Stealing yourself, you smiled at Gaster but kept your eyes hard; determined. _”I’m glad to hear it. Since you’ve spoken with him, I assume you know what’s going on with him? Can you tell me anything about his… situation?”_

He paused and looked down. His undamaged socket narrowed. There is a field around the room he was in. It was… sapping him of magic. If they keep him there much longer I can only guess he will be too weak to fight back, let alone use magic.

You sighed and closed your eyes. _”Yea, I kind of… Do you happen to know what they plan on doing?”_

I am afraid not, my dear. I cannot see into that room without draining what energy I have left. It blocks me from seeing in.

Figures. 

You hear a slither from behind you and quickly turn to see a snake-like thing of darkness surround you. You back up and attempt to move away but they continue to follow. Gaster suddenly appears before you and the snakes cower away from him. He turns to you, a serious look upon him. 

You must leave. I am afraid I cannot have you here much longer.

You nod and begin to subconsciously wake yourself up when his hand cups your chin and makes you look at him.

Sans is at a beach. What beach, I am unsure. They will attempt a ransom or trade, so my dear, please, do be careful. I do not want to see my son, or you, harmed.

You nodded and smiled at him. _”I’ll try, Gaster. I’m pretty sure Grillby’s got my back.”_ You say with a wink. 

A light purple blush plays across Gaster’s face as you fade from the Void and wake to a very concerned Frisk. 

“Zen! You passed out so quick and you were only halfway on the bed and I heard the static that Gaster gives off and do you realize you’re heavier than you look?” She says almost too quickly for your wakening brain to comprehend. 

What you are able to truly comprehend about what she said was that she called you heavy. 

You glared at her, causing her to backpedal to the foot of your bed. A small smile played upon her lips and her overall expression was guilt. 

“Yea, I’ve got chub. So do you, shithead.” She gapes at the nickname and crosses her arms, her eyes and mouth wide. 

“I’m tellin’ mom.” She says as she begins to shuffle off the bed. You panic and launch yourself forward, grabbing her leg and pulling her towards you. She squeals and begins a manic laugh as you play your fingers on her ticklish spots. She begins squirming and snorting, all the while trying to get away. She almost did until you fell upon her, resorting to deadweight. She groans as the air within her lungs is forced out, though continues to laugh. 

A small but very obvious cough catches both of your attentions. You both glance up to find Toriel standing in the doorway, a smug grin playing across her features. You stare, wide-eyed with a nervous smile. Frisk stirs from under you and you remove yourself, settling into a sitting position on the bed. She gasps for air and waves at her goat-mother, who gives a soft laugh in return. 

“I am glad you two are getting along. I heard my child squealing and she only does that when she is being mischievous. I did not expect to see you two roughhousing.” She raises an eyebrow at you, making you shy into yourself. 

“In defense, Tori, she called me heavy.” She glared at Frisk and Frisk glares at you. 

“Yea well she called me a cuss word.” 

_Gasp._

“Zenyth!” The stern mother look fails as she laughs. Despite the chiding, you know she’s always been one for comedy and jokes, though she had a hidden side of her that enjoyed curse words. You found out that fact one night, when it was only her, Sans, and yourself at home. He said a normal joke but accidentally included a curse, and though both you and Sans winced, she laughed all the same. 

_Once in a while does not hurt, my children!_

Yea, well, as soon as others were out of the picture, you were allowed to say whatever the fuck you wanted around her. 

You shook your head at her. “Whatever, Tori. You love me.” You stretch and yawn. “I kinda wanna relax to a movie. Would you guys be up for The Hobbit?” 

Frisk gasps and nods furiously, turning around to her mother, who sighs and rolls her eyes. 

“Alright, my children. I shall set it up.” With that, she leaves the room, allowing you to finally tell Frisk of what Gaster has said. She turns around with a serious look upon her face, expectant. 

“So, I finally was able to talk to Gaster. He said he got to talk to Sans.” Her eyes widen and she cocks her head in a silent question. 

“He said Sans was… as okay as he could be. They have in a room that’s been sapping his magic. I don’t know how much he has left but he doesn’t have much. Gaster said he won’t be able to fight back.” 

Frisk’s shoulders droop and her eyes flicker around in thoughtful confusion. 

“Before I woke up, Gaster said that Sans is near a beach. What beach is near here?” 

Frisk’s eyebrows furrowed. “The closest one is Kalaloch, I think. Ruby isn’t too far either, but…” 

You shook your head. It was one of the two. “We’ll think about it later. All we can do is wait for them to call or something. Let’s go downstairs and talk to Tori about this.” 

 

Once downstairs, the first thing you and Frisk notice is that Tori is not in the living room, nor has the television been messed with. You hear a distant conversation coming from the kitchen. You and Frisk share a look before going towards it. 

You peek around the corner and find that Asgore, Undyne, Alphys, and Papyrus are all in there as well. You raise an eyebrow in confusion as you enter the kitchen. All heads turn towards you and Frisk. Toriel stands. 

“My children, I apologize. I did not expect company for several hours.” 

You shake your head and smile at her. “No worries. What’s up, guys?” 

They remain quiet and that’s when you finally notice just how tense the room has become. Frisk tugs on your shirt, forcing you to look down at her, and see that she is also very confused. You look back up to Asgore facing you with a stern glare. Your body tenses. 

“Zenyth, I am afraid I have come with… bad news.” 

Oh no. 

“Grillby’s bar was attacked yet again, though the damage done was enough to put him out of business for quite some time. We will be making room for him to live here.” 

Who cares about the damned bar. “Is he okay?”

“He is fine. A little shaken at the damage and…” He sighs heavily. “The humans who did this were thorough. Half of his apartment on the upper floor has caved in.” 

Your eyes widen and your brow furrows in concern. “What the hell did they do?” Your voice cracked at the exclamation. 

“They rammed the building with vehicles, I am told. The front half of the building was weak since it was mostly glass, and once the vehicle broke a few bricks, the top collapsed. Luckily, Grillby had it closed for the day.” 

You sigh in relief as you hear the door open. Undyne already has a spear drawn as her and Papyrus walk out of the kitchen and towards the front door. The spear dissolves as she laughs heartily with her hands on her hips. Curiousity getting the better of you, you begin walking towards them when you notice the increasing light. You round the corner with a smile already plastered on your face. 

Grillby is standing at the door with a few boxes of luggage behind him. He looks as exhausted as fire could look, as his flames were deep red and low, his shirt ruffled and unbuttoned. You cock your head in thought, realizing you’ve never seen him in anything remotely casual until now. You shake the thought from your mind and bound towards him to wrap him in a tight hug. 

He stiffens for a few moments before returning the hug tightly. You notice the barely-there tremble, which only makes you hug him tighter. 

“You’re okay, Grillby. You’re safe, and we’re here for you.” You feel him nod against you. One final tight grip of a hug and you release each other. You give him a light smile and he returns it. 

You whip your head around and glare daggers at both Undyne and Papyrus who have stopped their loud and obnoxious banter and have resorted to standing idly and awkwardly by. 

“You two good help, ya know.” A grin appears on your face. “Or is it too heavy for you guys?” 

Within minutes, all of Grillby’s things were in his assigned room. He begins to unpack and you offer to help, to which he shakes his head. He looks around the room slowly, breathing heavily. You can sense his distress and though it pains you to leave him be, you understand. 

“Alright, well… If you need anything, just text me. Frisk and I are going to set up a movie, if you want to join us later.” 

He cocks his head slightly. “…Which movie?” 

“The Hobbit. Toriel usually likes making a special dinner for this movie.” He nods and takes another glance around the room. 

“…I am going to… continue unpacking. Let me… know when you… start the movie.” 

You nodded. “Okay. I’ll text you.” You raise a fist towards him in means of a fist bump. He looks confused for a moment before realizing, and returns it. You smile at him and wave as you leave the room to head back to the living room. 

Once there, you see it is still empty. All the monsters are in the kitchen, so you make your way towards it and tap a knuckle on the doorframe. Toriel looks up and smiles at you. 

“Thank you for helping Grillby. I am sure he appreciates it. He is a man of few words but he seems to open up to you. I have known him for hundred of years, my child, but I have not seen him as happy as he has been since…” 

You know what she means. 

“Yea, he opens up to me. Ha, I think of him as a best friend. But other than that, are you going to make the special dinner tonight?” 

She perks up at that and nods. “Of course, Zen. It’s already in the oven. Everyone is helping me prepare. Will Grillby be joining us?” 

When you nod, she claps her hands in front of her. “Oh, good! I will have to make a special thing for him. I remember one time, Gaster mentioned what Grillby’s favorite food was.” 

“Well, that’s cool. Just… you think it would be okay? I don’t want to cause him any more stress…” 

She smiles, but there’s a heavy sadness within it that startles you. “I know how he feels, my child. It will bring both sadness and happiness to him. Perhaps it is something he needs.” 

You shrug, not quite understanding, but at the same time, you do. It was like using a recipe from a late family member, the memory written on a piece of paper could still be made. Some were harder for you, especially if that family member meant more to you. Perhaps… it would be good for Grillby. 

“What is it?” You inquire. 

She giggles softly. “Come, child. We shall prepare it together. It was a human dessert, with a twist made specifically for Grillby. I believe Gaster said it was Molten Lava Cake with ghost pepper extract.” 

Your eyes widen and your body tenses for two reasons. One being that ghost pepper is fucking insanity, and the second one being bad memories of… You shook that one out. No. Bad brain.

“So do you have the extract?” She nods and pulls it out of a cupboard. The label on the bottle said ‘Satan’ in bright red letters. “I do not understand this word, and I have not tried this yet. I have hid it from Sans since hot sauce to him is like strong alcohol to humans.” 

Wow. Not to mention the putrid fucking smell of hot sauce. 

“Uh, I’d recommend you try it, but only a toothpick tip worth of sauce. Not kidding on that. And uh, Satan is a religious figure associated with ‘Hell’.” 

Her eyes widen and her concerned glare focuses on the bottle. She reaches into a small drawer to pull out a toothpick. Unscrewing the cap, you begin to grimace and pray for mercy. You’re not religious but you’re totally praying to Satan to not be a total dickhead for once. Tori was just curious, she didn’t deserve the pain she was about to be inflicted. 

She hands you the toothpick and bottle, and you dip the tip of the toothpick into the sauce, just barely, and hand it to her. She notices your grimace and hesitantly takes the toothpick. Just then, Undyne and Papyrus come in and watch the spectacle that’s about to unfold. 

Tori takes the toothpick and licks the tip of it, removing all sauce that was on it… 

Her eyes go wide and she covers her mouth. A low whine begins to erupt from her as her eyes water. You begin to laugh but rush towards the fridge, grabbing the fattier milk, and hand it to her. She looks at you funny as she holds it. 

“It’ll help calm the spice! Take a drink before your tongue burns off!”

She proceeds to chug the milk and downs half the gallon before finally taking a breath. She’s gasping but it’s quickly interrupted by hiccups. 

“My child!” _Hiccup._ “What on Earth!” _Hiccup._

You turn around to Undyne and smile mischievously. “Hey! Wanna try this stuff?” You shove the bottle at her and though she raises an eyebrow, she nods instantly. You dip the other end of the toothpick into the sauce and hand it to her, to which she scoffs. 

“What the hell is that, punk? Don’t think I can handle it?” She challenges, standing up straighter and looking down at you. You smile and shake your head. 

“I’m not gonna give you more than this. Do you even _see_ Tori behind me?” 

She glances at Tori and seems convinced enough to take the toothpick and lick the sauce off. Papyrus looks at her with worry and interest, but you definitely will not allow him to try this. The poor skeleton would run around the house screaming like a banshee if you did. 

You watch as Undyne’s face contorts to panic as the heat and spice sets in. Her eyebrow practically lifts off of her face as she rushes towards Toriel and grabs the milk gallon and begins to chug it. 

After the two of them recover from the sauce, you and Tori begin working on the dessert for Grillby. By the time it’s prepared, dinner is ready. You text Grillby and tell him that dinner is ready as Toriel places the cake inside the oven. Both of you deem it unsafe for the rest of the family. 

As you all settle into the living room, Grillby joins you all and makes sure to thank Tori for the meal. You take in his new appearance, with him just wearing a t-shirt and sweatpants. He notices you staring and his cheeks flare blue. 

You laugh. “You’re good Grillbz. Just haven’t seen you in casual clothing since I’ve known ya. You look good. Cute.” You make sure to add the last word just to see him fluster, and he doesn’t disappoint. His cheeks flare brighter and he begins to shovel food into his mouth. 

A good bit into the movie and the desserts are done. One for the main family and the other for Grillby. Once you and Tori hand out all the desserts, Grillby looks at you in confusion. You smile softly and whisper. 

“Tori suggested it. Said it was your favorite.” He says nothing but glances back down at the dessert. He picks a piece off and tastes it. 

It must be to his liking because you watch his cheeks dust lightly with blue flame and a smile breaks across his face. “…It is perfect… Thank you.” You can hear the sadness there but you nudge him with your shoulder, to which he nudges back. 

The movie continues and as it nears finish, everyone begins to wrap up and head to bed. The ones who remain to see the movie finish are you, Tori, and Grillby. As the credits begin to roll, you smile and prepare yourself to sing along to the ending tune. 

_“Far over the Misty Mountains rise. Leave us standing upon the heights. What was before, we see once more. Our kingdom a distant light.”_

The Hobbit turned out to be one of Toriel’s favorite movies, as well as practically every other monster. They sympathized with the Dwarves, and Undyne had called you their Burglar. As you continued to sing, you were surprised to hear Toriel sing along with you. 

_”Fiery mountain beneath the moon. The words unspoken, we’ll be there soon. For home a song, that echoes on. And all who find us will know the tune.”_

Grillby sits contently beside you, listening to both you and Toriel sing. He has heard you hum or randomly sing but were usually embarrassed enough to stop. Hearing your voice now, unfiltered and unhindered, as well as the soft and always-calming voice of the Queen, set him at ease. 

_”Some folk, we never forget. Some kind, we never forgive. Haven’t seen the back of us yet. We’ll fight as long as we live.”_

Just then, they all heard the faint ringing of your cell phone. Toriel pauses the movie as you grab it out of your pocket and stare at the caller ID. It says it’s a private caller, and you know… 

This is the call. 

You answer tentatively. “Hello?” 

“Meet us at Kalaloch Beach. Bring only you and the Ambassador.” _Click._

 

Sans recognizes this beach, but only faintly. The monster family emerged from the Underground near here, and on top of that, they took a trip here to just relax. He couldn’t remember it’s name, since it was complicated to pronounced, but he remembered that each time it was mentioned, Grillby and Gaster would always come along. He smiled at the memory, but a shove to his back reminded him of his current situation. 

At least twenty men were scattered around the place, keeping a watchful eye to the surrounding area. Sans was sitting on a rock under a tree that was suspended above him, its roots reaching to either side of the crevice. This place would be a really cool place to just chill… 

If lives weren’t in danger. 

He sighed. They’d been here for at least two or three hours. They had prepared themselves for ‘defense’, or rather, _war_. Each of them had a weapon, whether it be melee or gun, it didn’t matter. They still hadn’t let him in on their plan but it didn’t matter to him. They’d probably kill him, even if they aimed at you… 

He had enough in him for one shortcut. His magic wasn’t refilling as quickly as he had hoped. Someone would die today, and damn it all if he allowed you to die. 

His thoughts ceased as he saw lights coming from the left. A vehicle of sorts was approaching, and it put everyone on guard. Sans heard two doors open and close and the vehicle turned around and drove away. Two figures approached the group and as they got into the light, his eyes widened as he saw you and Frisk. 

He watched Cody approach you. Watched you tense. Watched Frisk grip your hand harder. Sans gritted his teeth. He was getting anxious. He would have already killed every one of these guys if he weren’t so goddamned weak. 

“So, back to business.” Cody said. Business? Sans scoffed. 

“Yea, business. The fuck you want, Cody?” The hostility in your tone made Sans smile. _That’s my girl…_

“Wow, so feisty. Anyways, we’re offering a trade. Your freak for the girl.” 

Sans hardened his glare towards the guy. He can’t be fucking serious. Does he really think you’ll agree to this?

“The fuck? What kind of deal is that? It’s a no.” 

“Well, babe, it’s either her or you, though you’re used, so we’d end up killing the freak anyway.” 

“Used. Yea, cause I’m obviously property. Good to know that’s all you see of people nowadays. What do you see these guys as, paychecks?” 

The silence was astounding. The gentle crash of waves was the only thing breaking through. 

“Cody, you’re such a piece of shit. You can’t even look at another human anymore to see that they are worth something. Remember when we actually loved each other? Remember when we thought of a future together? You said you were so goddamn happy.” The tears began to flow down your cheeks, which only infuriated Sans. His bones rattled as his anger made his magic flow through him quicker and faster than ever before. 

“Now it’s gone and I can see you’re unfulfilled. Nothing you do matters. Well, great, but could you stop taking it out on others? Do your guys behind ya even have anything against me or Sans or Frisk or any other monsters? What have we done to you? The only thing I ever did was call you out on being a fuckwad and call the cops. Sans did nothing but make ya piss your pants. Sorry that you got embarrassed in front of your boys but Jesus fucking Christ, Cody. I’m sick and tired of this shit and of you.” 

Cody had the balls to laugh. 

“Whatever. I’ve heard enough from you.” He pointed the gun at you, making you jump and Sans to stand. His eyes were wide with fear. He began to shake his head, not believing that the guy would actually do it. He saw your face, full of terror and underlying hatred. You were baring your teeth and shaking. Even from this distance, he could see it. Your hands were balled into fists and your chest rose and fell quickly and heavily. 

In that moment, Sans truly saw you. The world around him stopped for just a moment, and he knew. 

He watched Cody pull the trigger as Frisk screamed. You braced yourself as you watched the bullet come towards you-

And suddenly, Sans was there, facing you. 

He jerked a bit and you heard bone crack. You were trembling, your eyes wide. You looked up to his face to see his signature smile still there, but pained. His eyelights were incredibly dim, the left one showing a hint of yellow. The smile turned into a grimace. 

You shook your head in disbelief. You couldn’t… He…

“Sans… Did…” Your voice trembled and quaked and was no higher than a whisper. 

Sans leaned forward. His hand caressed your cheek as his lips met yours for a quick and light kiss. 

“Sorry, love. I couldn’t watch ya die.” 

You were on the verge of screaming. This wasn’t happening. This couldn’t happen. It should have been you. Humans can live a simple bullet!

“Sans… I-“

You stopped breathing as you watched his face. 

He smiled yet again, though instead of pain or the Sans smile, it was genuine and full of warmth. 

“Zen, I love you.” 

“Sans?”

He fell forward into you and went limp. 

 

 

 

 

As you said his name again, he turned to dust.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sorry.


	25. A Shocking Experience

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, my dearest readers, I'm still not sorry for the last chapter, but I assure you this will more than make up for it. You guys don't realize how long I had been planning Sans' death. I pretty much knew how it was gonna happen before I posted Chapter 1. 
> 
> I was also going to be really mean and leave Chapter 24 to sit for like a week or two, just leave you guys sitting there thinking about our poor Sansy, but you guys reacted so well that I'm gonna post this. You guys cannot understand how happy I was to have all you guys react that way. 
> 
> I didn't check it for like eight hours and I come back TO EIGHT OR NINE REPLIES AND I SQUEALED AND SCREAMED AND LAUGHED MY ASS OFF. MY MOTHER IS NOW CONCERNED ABOUT HOW MY STORY IS GOING.
> 
> I have an important question for you guys at the end so please let me know :) It's about next chapter!
> 
> Enjoy, my lovelies. 
> 
> ~LadyP

Shock. 

Fear. 

Anger. 

You fell to your knees as Sans’ dust settled on you, completely coating your shirt and arms. No words could come to you in your stunned silence. Tears fell down your cheeks, unbidden, and your body began to tremble. You slowly lifted your hands to your face, palms up, and found them, too, covered in dust. You could hear Frisk behind you, crying. 

This wasn’t supposed to happen. 

“So, now that the freak is dead, I guess we’re good!” 

Something inside you clicked, or rather, switched, almost like a light switch. The smugness in Cody’s voice was enough to bring you out of the well of sadness you fell into. You slowly brought your face up to glare at Cody, who was smiling with pure delight. 

“Aw, don’t be like that, Zen! You’re free now! Just come with us and finally be with the people you deserve!” 

How dare him. How _dare_ he speak as if he’s better. 

You shake your head, and surprisingly enough, a laugh sounds from you. “Here you are, playing God, and you think I give a shit.” 

He looks almost surprised. “I only did what was right. You shouldn’t hang around with those freaks or that… girl, who thinks she’s one of them.” He pointedly looks at Frisk at that moment, which only pisses you off more. “You’re more human than you-“ 

“Shut up.” You spat. 

“Aw, don’t be like that, Zen! You can finally be with humans again! Think about all the time we had together! We can finally be together again.” 

You huff a laugh. “As if.” 

That pissed him off. “Zen, I did this for your own good. Now c’mon and stop being ridiculous.” 

A fire began to burn within you. Not like when you get pissed off, it was literally burning, though not enough to hurt. Your skin began to turn pink and your breath felt too hot, muggy. Even the ocean breeze could not relieve the burning sensation that had begun to consume you. 

“Zen, c’mon, I’m not gonna ask again.” His voice was riddled with spite and impatience that only increased your anger, increased the fire. 

“I’ll never follow you.” Your voice came out sounding raspy, airy. Your vision began to blur everywhere but Cody’s face, as if the fire within you was only caring for him and him alone. Your breath quickened and got heavier, unrelenting. 

“Then die like your freak.” He raised the gun once again and pulled the trigger. The sound of the gun firing did nothing to you as you watched the bullet in slow-motion. In that moment, that split-second that the bullet made its way towards you, you decided. 

You weren’t going to die. 

As you watched the bullet, it ricocheted off of an invisible barrier, surprising Frisk and Cody as well as the rest of the men behind him. The fire within you had not subsided, but instead of the feeling of uncomfortable burning, you were met with a calm sense of peace. You could feel your Soul within you beat heartily, pounding against you as you slowly stood up, eyes locked on Cody. 

You _refused_ to die. 

Cody’s face lit up in pure terror to your delight. Your face split with a wide smile, though you couldn’t see how truly manic you looked. You felt unstoppable in that moment, the fire within you moving and flowing through you as if it was yours to control. You slowly made your way towards Cody as the fire within burst through your skin and appeared as lightning; The crackling energy around you zapping the sand beneath your feet and turning it to small formations of silica glass. You appeared as a swirling vortex of lightning energy, your hair standing on end and your clothing whipping around in the wind, a mixture of the sea air and the static energy. 

Cody was frozen in fear as you reached him. You grabbed him by his throat and brought him to your face. 

“No life is worth less than yours, but so many are worth more. An eye for an eye, Cody. You’re not worth living on this plane anymore.” 

**BOOM**

As a snarl ripped from your throat, a flash of blinding white light and an ear splitting sound attacked your senses and echoed through the entire area. You didn’t even blink as you continued to glare at the spot where Cody was just a moment ago. The sand around the area floated in the air as if suspended in space. The rest of the men had either ran away or cowered in fear, though none made a move towards you and after this spectacle, this _show of power_ , you doubt any of them would ever again. 

As the light and sound settled, you finally took in your surroundings. The air around you was frozen, all the sand suspended. The sand where Cody once stood was a pillar of silica glass that was taller than you. You could find no remnants of human remains; no bones, no ashes, no blood. Nothing. You smiled. 

Nobody could solve a murder if there was no evidence to find. 

You never thought yourself a vengeful person, and you always told people that revenge was never an option… but damn, if you said revenge didn’t taste sweet, you’d be lying to yourself. 

You heard a gasp from behind you, probably from Frisk, but you paid no mind. Walking around Cody’s makeshift grave marker, you walked towards the men who remained behind. There were seven left, and only one of them seemed to want to talk. He stared at you, though not in fear, not as if he was criticizing you, it was if he was evaluating you. It wasn’t negative, though. You furrowed your brows and pointedly glared at him and stopped your approach towards the rest of them. He noticed and faced you directly. 

“I wanted to apologize.” You narrowed your eyes at him. _What._

“I was with Cody for a while. I watched him go… mad. A lot of us began questioning him, but, he had the backing of the Police Department back where you and him came from. They’ve been starting shit and the rest of us didn’t want to be a part of it, but, he threatened us, threatened our families. I’m sure this isn’t what you want to hear right now but-“ 

“I wasn’t going to hurt you guys.” Your voice finally surfaced, and was loud, thundering. You were even a bit startled at the sound of your voice, as it sounded as if you _were_ the lightning surrounding you. “You guys haven’t done anything to us. The guys that did are already in jail, and Cody paid his price.” 

He nodded slowly. “I am still very sorry for being part of this, and I am sorry for… for the skeleton. I wasn’t told what he was to you.” 

You looked beyond him as you saw the first bits of daybreak. The sun or its colors hadn’t yet risen, but the dark blue sky had begun to lighten. The breeze whipped through you and the rest of the men, though you know it should have felt chilly, it was nothing but calming and peaceful to you. 

“He was my boyfriend. Did Cody happen to tell you what he was to me?” The man shook his head. “He was my ex. We separated years ago due to… specific reasons. He loved making my life hell while all I wanted to do was avoid him. When he started messing with Sans, him and I were not yet together. I was just defending him.” 

Your gaze went back to the man’s face. “What will you do now? I’ll let you all go if you just leave us be.” 

He smirked. “I think I’ll work on helping monsters. This event… No, this bullshit that Cody put us through made me realize just how kind monsters really were. We met a few, though Cody was the only one that did anything.” 

You furrowed your brow and approached him. He raised his eyebrows at you and stood straighter. If the magic around was anything to go by, you wondered if you could check…

“Mind if I try something?” 

“What would that be?” 

“I want to see if I can draw out your Soul. See if I can see your stats. There’s something I want to check.” 

The shock on his face was no surprise, as most humans knew the existence of Souls only through religious means or personal dealings with monsters, the latter being rare. 

“What… What do you-“ 

“Your Soul is physical. Monsters use it in replacement of a physical body, since theirs is magical. For humans, ours are much different. I want to check a few things with yours to see if I can trust you.” 

He opened his mouth to speak, but closed it, only to open it again, and close it again. Instead of words, he merely nodded. 

“Alright. There’s going to be a feeling of pulling or tugging, tearing… But that’s only if I can actually do this.” 

You brought your hand to his chest, palm down, and placed it against his sternum. You could feel his heartbeat within, but you could also feel something else. You slowly moved your hand away and felt something being pulled out. You smiled as the man gasped. With one final pop, his Soul was pulled free and you were both surround in yellow light. 

The man’s eyes were settled on his Soul, just as yours were. It was slightly scuffed, though the yellow color was bright and strong. It was a fifty-fifty chance he could be trusted, but something about seeing his Soul actually made you trust him more. 

Your smile continued to widen as you looked up him. “Your Soul’s yellow. That’s good.” 

His eyes were wide but a question was held within. You lightly laughed. “It stands for Justice. Guess I can trust you after all.” A thought clicked. “I never actually got your name.” 

He smiled and sighed. “My name is Dorian.” 

“Well, Dorian. I think it’s time we part ways. I need to… tend to the monsters.” 

He nodded and a sorrowful look played upon his features. His hard, blue eyes crinkled as he smiled. “Sure. I’ll… Hm. I can’t make up for this but perhaps I can help out and make up for my sins.” 

“Perhaps. Take care, Dorian.” 

“Take care, Zenyth.” 

You turned away from him but kept your eyes peeled on the horizon. The sky was just beginning to turn light blue and orange, hinting that the sun was beginning to rise. The adrenaline you had felt was finally beginning to wane, leaving your body trembling. It was difficult to walk and you found your eyelids drooping. You could only hope that Grillby was still around, since he was the one that drove you here, or that Frisk had made a call. 

With a sigh, you turned your head back towards where Frisk was and-

You stopped moving. Your heart skipped a few beats. 

_No. This was_ not _possible._

Your eyes were wide and began to flow, yet again, with tears, as you stared into the eyes of Sans. 

 

Sans watched you stop moving as you finally made eye contact. He watched your peaceful expression turn quickly to shock. He watched the tears fall from your eyes and roll down your cheeks. He couldn’t stop himself from crying either, as the yellow magic flowed out of his eyes. His smile was wide and genuine as he began walking towards you. He wasn’t afraid of the lightning that surrounded you, as he was equally impressed and madly intoxicated. Who would have thought that the girl, no, the human he had chosen as his was a magic user. You used it like a pro, and it swirled you like it claimed you. Like it belonged to you and you belonged to it. 

Something clicked in you and you were suddenly running full speed at Sans. He smiled and opened his arms as you leaped into them. The lightning surrounded you both and intensified, the lightning creating a protective orb. As your hands wrapped around Sans’ body, you cried into his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around you and you could hear him whispering sweet nothings into your ear, though you couldn’t hear them. You felt his bones through his shirt, you smelled his scent through his jacket. It was him. 

It was really him. 

You pulled back enough to look into his eyes, and found that one eyelight had disappeared. His right eye socket was dark, and his left eye light was yellow, though you could feel no magic coming from within him. You unlatched yourself from him and brought your hands to cup either side of his face. His eyes closed and he leaned into your hands. 

An unfamiliar cough sounded from beyond Sans, causing you both to jump. Sans coughed nervously and brought one of his hands up to rub the back of his skull. 

“Uh, Zen, I forgot to introduce ya.” 

You cocked your head and raised an eyebrow. _Introduce me to who?_

He moved out of the way and lifted his hand to point towards the new person. “Zen, meet my dad.” 

_Whaaaaa-_

“Whoa whoa whoa. Whoa. Gaster?!” Your voice cracked in surprise at seeing the man in the flesh. Yes, he actually had flesh. He was wearing a turtle neck shirt, though the sleeves were rolled up, black slacks, and black office shoes. His skin was grey and his eyes… 

One of them remained damaged, though an eyelight still appeared from within. You were glad to see he was in a physical form. Your visits to the Void were… enlightening, but seeing him as a goop-monster was quite unsettling. 

A wild question appears… 

“Wait, how the fuck are you physical? Sans said you were made of goop and even in old photos you were… well, not _grey_.” 

He coughed nervously. “I believe a trade occurred. One of Sans’ eyes for my body. I am not sure why or how this worked, so you will have to inform me. Unfortunately I was caught, once again, by the tendrils.” 

“Yea, I’d actually like to know, too, Zen. I remember getting shot. Not much else after that.” 

You sighed. “Well… You were shot directly in the Soul, I think. Do you… Do you not remember what you said to me?” You looked to him, hopeful that he remembered. 

He shook his head. Fuck. 

Another sigh. “Well, I’ll remind you later. But uh, your dust…” He visibly flinched at that. “It fell on me, covering me. Cody pissed me off, and I… I guess I activated magic. Oh! See the little thing over there?” 

You pointed to the silica glass spire. “That _was_ Cody.” You said with a snicker. 

“What color is your Soul, my dear?” Gaster asked. You turned towards him and said, “It’s blue. Dark blue.” 

“Ah, then that might be why. Blue stands for integrity, yes, but there’s another meaning for the blue Soul, and that is the state of being whole, of being undivided. Perhaps your Soul and your magic sensed that the dust was something that was once whole?” 

Sans looked to him as if he was crazy, and as he was about to speak, you interrupted. “Wait, so I just reversed Dust Fusion?” 

Both monsters went silent as they contemplated this. If this was possible, perhaps… 

“You did, my dear. You very much did reverse it.” 

Frisk ran up to you then and crushed you in a hug. You laughed and attempted to settle your magic, all the while talking with Gaster and Sans about your magic, your Soul, and the other men. Sans was disappointed that some ran, but you promised him that Dorian was one you could trust. The sky had begun to turn orange and red, signaling the quick approach of the sun and the beginning of the true morning. 

A car pulled up and stopped a ways away, though the driver didn’t get out. You recognized the car and began to walk towards it. Gaster had his eyes trained on the horizon, as you knew it had been a year or more since he last saw the sunlight. Seeing it through the Void or through someone else’s eyes was much different than seeing it for yourself. 

You walked up to the vehicle and sure enough, Grillby had his hands tightly on the steering wheel. His white eyes were wide and focused on one thing, or rather, one person. You nudged him on the shoulder and he jumped, finally noticing you were there. You laugh lightly at him and open up the drivers’ side door. He slowly steps out, though he begins wringing his hands together and you can see he is breathing heavier, quicker. 

“Grillby, I swear it’s really him. C’mon.” You take his left hand and tangle your fingers with his. He allows this, and you pull him along. As you approach the group of three, Sans looks over and smiles widely. He taps Gaster on his right shoulder, making Gaster turn. Sans says something you can’t hear, but it gets Gaster to look in your direction, and immediately his eyes widen and a purple glow covers his cheeks. 

Grillby’s hand tightens on yours before letting go. He starts to walk towards Gaster, though timidly, not quite believing his eyes. His Soul begins to thrum in sync with the other monster, and for the first time in a year, he feels whole. Gaster turns to fully face him and a smile plays across his face as purple tears flow out of his left socket. 

“It is ironic that our reunion happens to be here, at Illaria Beach, isn’t it?” 

A light and crackling chuckle sounded from Grillby. “It is.” Grillby moved once again and embraced Gaster in a tight embrace. Sans moved to you and Frisk made a noise of disgust as Grillby pressed a light kiss to Gasters’ forehead. You giggled at her but turned towards the horizon just as the sun breached it. All five of you stopped to take in the view, the calming sensation between all of you settled into a comfortable silence. You held Sans’ hand as he leaned into you, and Grillby embraced Gaster from behind, their hands clasped together upon Gasters’ chest. Frisk stood between the four of you and was content that Grillby and Sans had held one of her hands with their free one. 

You smiled despite everything. The sun was fully up by the time you all wanted to leave. The only remnants of anything happening was the silica glass spire working as a gravesite and a warning to all who oppose you or attack your family. As you, Sans, and Frisk sat in the backseat of Grillby’s car, you flipped the bird at the spire. 

Good fucking riddance. 

 

You arrived at the household to find all the monsters in the living room, looking to the doorway expectantly. You asked the three monsters to stay behind while you and Frisk went in first. At first the monsters in the living room were all suspicious and very concerned, but as you looked behind you and waved the three monsters in, they all rose from the couch. Toriel and Papyrus squeaked upon seeing Sans, though that was quickly silenced as Grillby led Gaster in. He smiled shyly at Toriel, though when Asgore rounded the corner, he was not prepared to be embraced in a fucking big furry hug. Gaster was lifted off the ground a good foot before any sound made its way through the house. That sound was everyone screaming in joy at once. 

Toriel and Papyrus made sure that Sans wouldn’t be able to breathe for the next decade, and Frisk was just about manhandled by Undyne. Gaster and Asgore had a pleasant conversation as Grillby stood around awkwardly. 

You approached him and stood at his side. He nudged you, making you look up to him. He had a smile on, and the most serene expression you’ve ever seen on him since you met him. 

“… I want to thank you… for returning him… to me.” 

You closed your eyes and smiled. “No problem, Grillbz. If it gets you to smile more, I’m gonna do it.” 

He looks at you then, interest playing on his features now. “Oh? Why is that?” 

You look up to him once more, a calm and genuine smile on your lips. “I think of you as my best friend. If you’ll allow it, I’d like to be.” 

A small chuckle, a puff and pop, sounded from him. “I’d like that.” 

Sitting in comfortable silence, you watched your family mingle together. Tears and smiles were all that was on their faces. Exhaustion finally set in and you bid your goodnights to the family, stating you would be explaining things tomorrow when you had the energy. Sans went with you and bid everyone goodnight as well, and as you both neared your room, he turned you around and pressed his lips against yours. 

A few breathless moments later, you separated. He smiled at you, that mischievous grin appearing on him yet again. 

“I almost lost you forever tonight. I don’t wanna know what I’m gonna be missin’ out on if it happens again. Wanna do somethin’ we haven’t done before?” 

Holy _fuck_. 

“Doubt we’ll lose each other ever again, but I’ll still take ya up on that offer.” 

He opened the door to your room and you both walked in. Giggles erupted from you as he closed to door behind you both.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So guys, I know I originally posted this fic as a 'no smut' fic but... yea things happened. 
> 
> Would you guys be okay with next chapter being slightly smutty? I'm not sure how well I'll do but it will only be a minor part of the chapter in whole. You guys saw how this Chapter ended, so that's where the next one will begin. 
> 
> If not, they'll wake up the next morning with it being 'implied' that the frickety-frack happened. Thanks guys!


	26. Recounting (S)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay first off, I am SOOOO SORRY that this was like, what, three weeks late? I had a bout of no motivation and uh... yea. 
> 
> Second, I will be starting college soon! Not sure what that'll do for future updates but it may affect it. I'll know later but this is just a warning. 
> 
>  
> 
>  _Third, for my readers who do **not** want to read smut, I will mark the end of it with these:_ **~~~~~~~~** _Just scroll until you see those!_
> 
>  
> 
> Again I'm so sorry but I hope this chapter more than makes up for it >.
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> ~LadyP

You backed up towards your bed, a mischievous grin parting your face, as Sans slowly walks towards you, the same grin upon his face. You finally find the footboard to your bed and before you could react, Sans swept his arms under your legs and picked you up. With a squeal, you were settled on the edge of the bed, legs on either side of him. 

He leaned down to you and gazed into your eyes. His single eyelight flicked around, searching your face. “What ‘xactly are we doin’?” 

His voice was heavy and deep, much different than you’ve ever heard it. You shivered and practically melted against him. You smiled nervously. “I was uh, I was hoping you’d tell me?” 

He rolled his eyelight and chuckled. “More like show ya.” His brow furrowed. “I’m bein’ serious, though. How far you wanna go?” 

A light smile crossed your face as you gazed up to him. “As far as you wanna go, Sans. I’m ready.” 

That was all it took as he pressed his lips to yours, a furious passion bubbling within the both of you. Your eyes were closed as you both were caught in the moment, just taking in each other’s scent, taste, and feel. His hands slowly made their way up your arms, coming to rest on your neck, bring your face closer to his. You had your hands placed upon his hipbones, simply resting them there until you got an idea to lightly rub the bones. He shuddered against you and growled as his lips left yours. 

“Love, you’re testin’ me.” You smiled mischievously as you leaned against him, pushing yourself into his ribcage. 

“I’m not one for foreplay, _love_.” 

A wide smile erupted on his face as he growled. “Fine by me.” 

He pushed you backwards onto the bed as he moved around to his side. You crawled towards him and helped him push off his jacket, letting it fall to the floor. He caressed your face again, bringing you in for more kissing. After a few moments you break the kiss and tug at the bottom of his shirt. He shakes his head and instead tugs at yours. You take off your shirt and you watch his eyes linger over your breasts, which were hidden within their padded prison. You covered them with both arms and shook your head. He took off his shirt, and you were finally able to see the full extent of his upper form. 

You only ever saw his arms and occasionally his legs, but never anything underneath his clothing. Even his arms and legs were different from the human skeleton, so it was no surprise that it was the same with his chest, though how different, you didn’t realize. His ribs were large, with each one almost touching the other. It nearly looked like a solid piece of bone save for the little gaps. His spine, though small near his head, widened as it went further down until it touched his pelvis, where it was the widest, but definitely no larger than the width of your hand. 

Shaking yourself out of your investigative stupor, you brought a hand towards his ribs. As your hand touched him, he twitched and gasped. You looked up to him with a silent question and he shook his head. “I’m good, love. M’just sensitive in some places.” 

You raised an eyebrow. “Like, tickle sensitive or good sensitive?” 

“Good sensitive.” With that, your hands lightly swept over his ribcage, feeling the bone and all the ridges, dips, and what seemed like scars. His bone was smooth and cool to the touch, which was much different than his usual air of warmth that radiated around him. Your hands went upward, crossing by his sternum, earning a shudder. You leaned forward and placed a light kiss on the bone only to be shoved backwards, again, onto your back. He crawled towards you, his brow raised suggestively, and began to tug at your pants. You unbuttoned them and began to shimmy them down yourself when Sans grabbed them and practically ripped them off of you.

You giggled at his frustration. “Someone’s getting impatient.” 

He silently glared at you, only causing you to giggle harder. He backed off the bed and began to undo his pants. You leaned up and tugged at the tops of his pants, pulling him closer. You began to pull them down when his hand stopped you. 

He grinned nervously before speaking. “I uh, I don’t know much about how humans do things, but I uh, educated myself on some things.” 

… Emphasis on educated. 

“Wait.” You snickered. “You watched porn?” 

He mocked offense but laughed it off. “Well, I don’t have first-hand experience, love. Plus it’s kinda _hard_ to ignore when searching for male anatomy gets you an endless source of video links.” 

“Yea, cause you totally looked up _male anatomy_.” You scrunched your eyebrows together as you thought about it. “Wait, but why does that play a part in this?” 

He began to sweat and the nervous smile got wider. “Well, you’ve seen how I can uh, conjure my tongue.” 

“So your dick is _conjured_ the same way?” 

An insane amount of yellow flooded his cheekbones and you were about to comment on it when another yellow light caught your attention. Looking down, a bright and vibrant yellow magical appendage made itself known within the confines of Sans’ pants. 

A lopsided smile played across your face as you gazed at the glowing light. You brought your hands up to the tops of his pants and slowly began guiding them down his hips. His length bobbed free and you were finally able to _take in_ the appearance of his conjured magic. It resembled that of a human member, but not quite. The shape was the same, save for the smooth texture and overall glossy appearance. 

_But the fucking length._

You weren’t given a moment to think as, yet again, you were shoved backwards. As you were staring at the glowing member, Sans had managed to take off his pants and shoes, leaving a very naked skeleton. His hips were slightly smaller than the width of his shoulders, but you couldn’t focus on the details as there was a very vivid _hard thing_ taking up your attention. He crawled further on to the bed, making you crawl backwards to make space for him. 

Leaning forward and over you, Sans looked into your eyes before pressing a kiss upon your lips. You closed your eyes and leaned into it, fully giving yourself to him. His tongue made its way into your mouth where it fought for dominance with yours. You faintly felt the tips of his fingers drag down your abdomen and graze over your hips, catching on your underwear. You laugh against him and bring your hands down to his to help him tug the cloth barrier off. 

He takes a few moments to gaze at your lower half, making you blush harder and breathe quicker. Nervousness spikes in your chest as his gaze lingers for longer than you thought it should, but when he finally looks to you, all negative emotions disappear. His face is disguised in wonder, happiness, and awe. It’s making you self-conscious, but weirdly, in a good way. 

His gaze continues to roam your body, taking in your almost completely nude figure. You were on the chubby side, with a few extra rolls, but after high school you were confident in your figure. With Sans, it was different. You didn’t know if he was with another woman – another human woman – and you definitely didn’t know what he considered beautiful. The wide smile on his face was true, genuine, and eased your soul. 

With a shake of his head, he murmured, “Damn, you’re… The word ‘beautiful’ can’t describe you.” 

You blushed furiously at that. Your eyes were wide and your breath hitched. Those were the words you really, truly, _absolute_ needed to hear. 

You quickly leaned up and kissed him, bringing your hands to the back of his head where his spine met it and dragged him down to where he was completely on top of you. His ribs pressed into your belly and breasts, and although they were hard, it was not uncomfortable. He shifted slightly to the left side, allowing his right hand to cup your breast through the padding. You both refused to break the kiss but you began to writhe with need for something more. 

Breaking this kiss, you leaned up and undid the clasp of your bra, and slowly began to lift it off of you. When fully removed, Sans took the opportunity to fully grasp your breast. The sudden movement made you gasp. His thumb lightly grazed over your hardened nipple, sending a small wave of pleasure through you. Again, your need for something more was digging at you-

and no, that was not meant to be a pun-

And the fact that his glossy erection was rubbing against you was not helping. You rolled your hips slightly upwards and lifted your legs, bending them. You were thankful that Sans seemed to understand your impatience and quickly made to situate himself between your legs. He guided himself towards your opening and looked up, awaiting your approval. When you nodded, he pushed himself inside of you. 

Your eyes rolled back into your head in absolute ecstasy. Sans’ shaky groan of pleasure made you giggle, but you were too caught up in the moment to allow yourself to tease him. He could just as easily tease back. 

Allowing himself to get used to the intense pleasure that was your heat, he began to move. As he thrust in, you realized he still had more to go before he was fully hilted. Just as you felt pain, he stopped, and you felt his bones upon you. He stretched you and filled you in the best way possible, hitting every sweet spot on the way. His thrusts were slow and steady, almost careful, but incredibly pleasurable. You both allowed yourselves this, allowed yourselves to get used to the feel of each other, the pleasure that was each other. 

As his thrusts became harder and more desperate, you felt a familiar pressure begin to build within you. You lifted your legs and rolled your hips just a tad more upwards; the change was immediate. You could feel him rubbing against the specific spot within you, quickly building the pressure that wanted to burst. You gasped as the feeling intensified. You were always quiet in sexual moments, but with Sans, you could not keep those sounds from escaping. 

A groan swept through your entire body as you came close. “F-fuuuuck, Saaaansss.” 

He was so caught up in his own pleasure that he only responded with a pleased moan. He leaned forward and placed his forehead against yours. His eyes were open, watching your face contort into expressions of pleasure and satisfaction. His movements began to quicken as he felt himself nearing his peak. 

Your eyes were closed, brows furrowed as you were lost in the sensations. 

Sans wanted to see the moment he had heard about. He wanted to _see_ you. 

“Zen, o-open your eyes.” You immediately responded, opening your eyes and looking directly into his. Your eyes seemed glazed, unfocused, as if your vision came second to what was happening in your lower half. 

Sans quickened and hardened his pace, thrusting deeper, harder, and faster within you. He could feel you tighten against him. With a few more thrusts, you held your breath and lost yourself, zoning out. Your walls clenched against him, tightening and shivering, before finally releasing and pulsating against him. It was enough to push him over the edge, releasing inside of you. 

Soft pants filled the air within the room as you both came down from your high. Once you were finally relaxed, and your breathing returned to normal, he removed himself from within you. You helped you up and you both went to the bathroom where you cleaned up in silence. Nothing could be said at this point, as you were both quite in tune with each other. You both left the bathroom and got into bed without so much as getting dressed and fell asleep, content, tired, exhausted, and most definitely at peace.

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

That morning you woke up slowly, groggily. Your eyes refused to open and your mind was muddled with sleep. Your consciousness only vaguely remembered that there was someone else in your bed, and that someone was very fucking hard-

“Saaaaaaaans.” You complained at the boney mass beside you that had somehow managed to pin your right leg underneath it. 

With only a sleepy grunt in response, you opened your eyes and began to push at him, only to realize how truly worthless that was. It was like trying to move a vehicle with the parking brake on. Throwing the covers off, you looked down at the sleeping skeleton and realized you were both naked… _Very_ naked. You quickly rummaged around for your phone and once found, glanced at the time. 

_11:48 A.M._

Toriel always came in around noon to wake you if you weren’t already up. With a squeal you bounced off the bed and ran towards your closet, rushing to get some clothing on. You slipped on underwear, a sports bra, a comfortable t-shirt and some house shorts. You ran out to see that Sans didn’t budge at all. Growling, you stomped over to his side of the bed and was about to give him what-for, but the expression on his face made you pause. 

A light yellow fade was still upon his face, but that wasn’t really what caught your attention. 

You had never seen him so peaceful. 

He had nightmares constantly, and if he didn’t, he still lived and slept in fear of one recurring. His face was always distorted with pain of varying degrees, and there would always be some sort of other expression, whether it be anger, concern, confusion, it was always there. 

Now, there was no brow crease, no tear streaks – no expression other than a good nights rest. He even drooled a bit. 

Either way, the poor bastard had to be woken up before Toriel got in here. You looked at your phone once more. 

_11:53 A.M._

Glancing back up to the skeleton, you smirked, and walked out of your room. Toriel gasped and raised a hand to her chest. She was just down the hallway, no doubt heading towards your room. 

“Oh my goodness. I did not expect you to already be awake, Zenyth.” 

You smiled at her. “I uh, kinda woke up cause a certain _dead-weight_ in my bed kinda killed my leg. He won’t wake for me, so it’d be cool, if, you know…You’d wake him up for me?” 

She sighed and shook her head as a smile replaced her shock. “I shall see what I can do. For now, you can either wait with me or go down to the kitchen. Lunch is ready.” 

“I’ll wait with you.” You _really_ wanted to see this. She nodded and made her way into your room and towards the bed where the naked sleeping skeleton lay. You leaned against the doorframe and folded your arms against your chest, a smug smile playing across your lips. 

She approached his side of the bed and lightly laid her giant paw on his shoulder, shaking. Soft words were spoken that you couldn’t hear, but you were slightly irritated that it was working so well. How come _she_ could manage to wake the dead?

A sharp gasp and a quick rustle of fabric dragged you out of your thoughts. Toriel quickly turned around and brought her paws up to her face. Her fur upon her face was tinged bright pink. She peeked at you through her fingers. 

“You planned this, did you not?” As you nod, she sighs and the pink gets slightly more vivid. 

A muffled scream sounded from the bed, scaring Toriel into scampering out of the room and down the hallway, face still in her paws. Laughing, you turned towards the bed and cautiously approached it. As you neared Sans, he threw the comforter off and stared at you. 

The yellow blush covered his entire face and even his shoulders. His breathing was heavy and the nervous smile on his face told you all you needed to know. He leapt out of the bed and quickly pulled his pants on. You were poised to run as he turned towards you, gaze hungry and dangerous. He growled as he stalked towards you, making you squeal and run out the door and downstairs. 

As you made it into the kitchen, Toriel was sitting at the table with a cup of coffee in front of her, but her head was in her hands. Her shoulders were shaking up and down and her fur was tinged pink. You quickly made your way through the kitchen and sat beside her, causing her to jump. She looked at you, then looked towards the entrance of the kitchen, finding Sans standing there in just his pants. 

 

The morning went well, or, well, as well as it could. Besides the fiasco that was Toriel and Sans not being able to be around each other for an hour or so without blushing like crazy. Of course, by then, everyone in the household has gathered into the kitchen. It was lively and loud, everyone was happy to have everyone back and together. Once Asgore made it into the kitchen, though, everyone got quiet. Sans and you looked to each other, then at everyone else. Everyone else knew something that neither of you did, and that unsettled you both. 

Once Asgore prepared his cup of tea and sat down, it was tense. The very air within the room was thick. You were pretty sure you knew what was going to be talked about, but it didn’t make it any easier. 

Finally, Asgore broke the silence. “Zenyth, Sans, I am afraid that you both will need to explain many things. You have both not just concerned this household, but also endangered it and everyone within. We would have protected you either way, I assure you, but all except for those involved do not know what occurred at Illaria Beach.” 

You sighed. “Just ask away, Asgore. There’s probably a lot that I can answer but just because I answer it doesn’t mean I understand my answer.” 

“Then I shall ask my first question.” He looked to Sans. “What happened to you, when you disappeared?” 

Sans sighed and looked down, wringing his hands together. “I was kidnapped, more or less. They barely fed me and I was kept in a small room that somehow absorbed my magic.” 

“Would you be able to find this place again? I do not want that room being available to more humans that would harm us.” 

“It’s pretty easy to find so yea. “ 

Asgore nodded and then turned his attention to his left, to Gaster. “My friend.” Gaster perked up and smiled at Asgore. He bowed his head, acknowledging him. “I cannot recall when we lost you. I feel that I have forgotten something but I cannot seem to place it, though this only happens when I attempt to think of you. Why is this?” 

Gaster looked to Grillby, who nodded. “Well, I cannot explain it in a way you will understand completely, but I shall try.” He sighed and turned towards everyone else. “When the machines exploded, I was killed, but the machines were created with the same technology as I made the core. That magic was dangerous if anyone were to fall in, so I can only assume I was close enough to the machine that the magic within the machine sent me into the Void.” He looked to Sans then. “Have you mentioned anything about the-“ Sans quickly shook his head and gave Gaster a pleading look. “Ah, then I will not explain that yet. It is not my place. Either way, when I was in the process of being sent into the Void, I started to… _fragment_ into existence. I was here but yet, I was not. I existed, and yet, I did not. Nobody could remember me, save for Sans. I was stuck in this place called the Void, a place where time and space coexist. I could see some things that happened in your world, yet I could do nothing. All I could do was sit and watch and avoid the darkness that the Void was.” 

His eyelights shimmered and distorted slightly as he spoke, retelling his story of how he lived and survived within the Void. How it occasionally solidified into different forms, mainly tendrils, that would attempt to catch him and absorb him into nothingness. He mentioned that it spoken to him once, calling him an ‘anomaly’ and that the cracks on his face and his damaged eye were part of the injuries he sustained by fighting back. He gained abilities within it, but dared not use them when he had not yet tested them in the real world since gravity and energy and magic worked much differently. 

Finally, Asgore rested his eyes upon you and asked you about your recollection, about what happened at Illaria. You gave him a summary of the events leading up to it, including your conversations with Gaster. 

“But when it came to them asking for just me and Frisk, there were at least 20 men there. Cody was there. He was basically the cause of all of this. He has an organization behind him that we need to look out for, but, I think we may have also gained an ally. I’ll explain him later but…” You trailed off, thinking about how to make Cody’s death seem less gruesome. 

Your face went blank at that. You slowly turned to Sans, your expression apprehensive as you asked, “Sans, you know what happened. I haven’t seen the numbers since then.” 

His eyesockets widened but he nodded. His brow furrowed in concern and concentration as he looked at your Soul. It took a good five minutes before a sharp intake of breath startled you all. Sans looked to you and shook his head. _Not good._

You sighed but returned your gaze to Asgore. “There’s no real way to explain this nicely, so I’ll just put it bluntly. I tried to get Cody to stop and he ended up pointing a gun at me and pulling the trigger. Sans shortcut in front of me and took the bullet. I…” You closed your eyes and took a deep breath, feeling your chest and throat tighten at the vivid memory. “I watched Sans turn to dust. He turned to dust in my hands.” 

The silence in the room was disturbing. Only you, Sans, Frisk, and Gaster were aware of what had happened, so each of the other monsters looked to you as if you were crazy. 

“BUT HE IS RIGHT HERE, HUMAN. SURELY HE CANNOT HAVE TURNED TO DUST.” You turned towards the taller skeleton, finding him looking at you in pure confusion. 

“Papyrus, I assure you, I watched Sans die. You can’t forget something like that.” You turned back towards Asgore and willed yourself to look only at him. Everyone else’s stares were distracting in more ways than one. “The bullet hit Sans and he turned to dust. I got angry. I honestly can’t remember too much of _how_ it happened but… I guess I was so angry, so full of emotion, that I awoke something. It felt like I was burning but lightning willed itself to me. It swirled around me. I electrocuted Cody.” You shook your head. “No, I obliterated him. There’s a glass sculpture where he used to be.”

You looked to Gaster. “Didn’t you mention something about the Dust Fusion? Did my magic somehow do it?” 

He shook his head. “Your magic alone would have done nothing to the dust but probably incinerate it. The fact that your Soul is blue gives it certain traits. Blue human Souls represent integrity. The hidden trait of a blue Soul is that they are whole or undivided. What I can only theorize is that somehow the dust that was on you was detected by your Soul and your magic and was found to be divided. Sans and I fused somewhat with the explosion of the machine but most of me was sent into the Void. I will… have to research this more for it to even begin to make sense to me, I’m afraid.” 

You nodded and looked back to Asgore and found that he was giving you the sternest look you had ever seen on him. Your heart began to beat faster as fear registered. 

He sat and stared for a few moments before leaning forward. “Zenyth, I must ask that you reveal your LV to me.” 

Sans twitched and was about to speak but you stopped him by placing a hand on his chest and shaking your head. “Just tell him. I killed another human. I want to know what it is too.” 

Sans’ eyelights disappeared as he looked away and muttered, “Her LV is 6.” 

_Six._

_I gained 6 LV from killing Cody._

…

_And I don’t give a single fuck._

Toriel gasped and the other monsters began to murmur. Sans and Asgore remained quiet, but the one that stood up for you was the one you’d least expect. 

“Dad, leave Zen be.” All of you turned to the kitchen entrance, towards the voice. 

_Frisk_. 

Her brow was creased in frustration. Apparently she had heard a lot more than she was supposed to. 

“If she didn’t kill him, he would have killed her and then me. You would have never seen Zen, Sans, me, or Gaster again. She did it to save us.”

Asgore sighed. “I am fully aware now that she did this to save you, but with high LV, the human mind becomes corrupt.” 

You scoffed. “You really think I’m gonna develop bloodlust, Asgore? No, I don’t care I killed him. You know why?” 

You gave him a moment to process that before you continued. “I don’t care because he threatened my family, which includes all of you. He was going to kill Frisk first. I was not about to allow some of my family to be destroyed at the hands of a sick and twisted human who made poor life choices!” 

Your voice had risen to almost yelling. You were angry that he thought you were weak. You were about to give him a piece of your mind before Grillby flared up, causing everyone to jump. 

Gaster was looking to Grillby with a blank but thoughtful look upon his face. You were about to get angry with them but remembered an old conversation with Grillby that one day he explained his past. 

Gaster turned towards Asgore. “Asgore, I have seen humans all around who have minor LV. Every living creature on the surface contributes in different ways to a humans’ LV, whether it be a human killing a bug because it is annoying or killing an animal for food. Humans may be more resilient to LV than we are.” 

Grillby looked to Asgore then. “Asgore… You and I fought… in the war together… All four of… us have high LV… Yet we are unaffected… Surely a… human can withstand… more temptation… depending on their Soul.” 

It went silent again for a few moments before Toriel spoke up. “I believe that this conversation is concluded. We have learned what we need to know and though some questions will be saved for later, we all must absorb what we have learned.” 

She looked to you with that stern mother glare that she knows you hate. “Zenyth, I believe you should take up training. If you do indeed have magic, then it is best to learn how to control it.” 

Papyrus and Undyne loudly cheered their approval and practically filled your week with vigorous training exercises that you were pretty sure you would die from. Gaster and Alphys began talking about science stuff you couldn’t even begin to comprehend and were supposed to write down any changes in your magic or your stats so that they may keep an eye on you. Toriel tried her hardest to not laugh at Sans but she eventually made a pun about naked bones which caused everyone in the vicinity to groan. 

After the conversation, the irritation and anger slowly sifted out and pleasant emotions replaced them. Everyone went about their business but all convened together for dinner, where nothing but good stories of times past were shared. Even Sushi managed to find her courage to leave your room and get a few scraps from the family. 

After dinner, you and Sans were cornered by Undyne. Her smug and toothy grin just a few inches from your face as she asks, 

“So, how the hell does that stuff work with skeletons?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So how did my fellow sinners enjoy my first try at smut? *eyebrow wiggle*


	27. Flower Fields and Petrichor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for taking so long on a new chapter that's uh, relatively short... I'm gonna keep them short now for creativity's sake... and mine. 
> 
> Anyway, I have two other stories you should check out and one that was created by the lovely Moonflower. 
> 
> [Were It So Easy](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7135988/chapters/16203440)  
> [Songs of the Soul](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6829648/chapters/15588706)  
> [Interspecies](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7214863/chapters/16373332) by [Moonflower01](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Moonflower01)
> 
> And don't forget I have a [YouTube playlist](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZP3_o053LG7twbq5X-amh-UoUOlUkIhn)!

Within a week, life practically went back to normal. Grillby’s was quickly repaired and re-opened, thanks to the multitude of townspeople working together to get their favorite hangout spot back up and running. A few monsters helped speed up the process by use of their magic to make sure it kept standing, and Muffet allowed Grillby to use her kitchen to feed everyone. 

Gaster, of course, put his own touch into the establishment by replacing some of the furniture for comfier, but much more stylish, booths, tables, and barstools. He even replaced some of the glasses and plates, insisting that the place should keep an aura of sophistication as well as comfort. You and Grillby both knew the place was busy despite Gaster’s… modifications, and besides that, he had a great eye for style. Though a little reluctant, Grillby allowed the change and came to enjoy it himself. 

Undyne and you had begun training the day after you got back. Asgore insisted that you do, under close supervision, so that not only could they keep track of what magic you could control but also how much. It seemed to you that some of the monsters had kept their distance from you, and you only just found out it was because of the amount of magic seeping from you. 

So, in truth, the week that everything went back to normal and everyone else went back to their normal routine? You avoided most of the family and chose to sit alone in your room, too frustrated at their reasoning’s for avoiding you to care about _training_. Sans, at some point, tried to talk you down but you assured him it wasn’t really them, that it was you just being frustrated with your magic. 

You didn’t ask for it, but you couldn’t find it in yourself to say you didn’t want it. The power of electricity was not something to be taken lightly; especially considering you could turn anything into a pyre of molten glass. 

As you sat in your room by your assortment of books, idly petting Sushi who purred lightly, your thoughts strayed to the feel of static around you. Much different from that of Gaster’s static. Instead of feeling like the static of a dead channel on television, it felt like the electricity in the room was swarming you, aiming to consume you. It wasn’t just around you - it was also within you, under your skin. You were so focused on the tingling sensation that you didn’t realize Sans had walked in. 

He stood by the door as he slowly closed it. Intently, he watched as your hand slowly petted the cat, though it seemed as if you had gotten lost in your thoughts a while ago. It pained him to see you like this, though he could understand. 

He was like this, once. 

He slowly approached you and brought a hand up, but just as he was about to tap your shoulder, he felt it – the electricity that everyone says they’ve been feeling when around her. He didn’t want to believe them, but… 

It wasn’t painful. The electricity that touched his fingers was like nothing he would have thought. Instead of being like the electricity that humans created and that storms produced, it was comforting in an odd way. It crackled and thrummed with energy, but was warm and gentle as it continued up his arm. His magic flowed to it, reacting to the energy as if it was his own- 

He backed away with a jolt, disconnecting your magic from his own in an instant. 

The fact his magic was absorbing yours was… unsettling. Yours was letting it happen. Why was- 

“Sans?” He jumped at the sound of your voice, forgetting, for a moment, that he was in your presence. 

You watched him as he gathered himself, and you couldn’t help but notice that he looked rather disheveled. His shirt was ruffled and he seemed winded, quite literally. 

He smiled. “uh, heh, sorry.” He brought a hand up to rub the back of his skull. “Tori told me to uh, come up and see if you wanted any dinner.” 

Your face fell, from what emotion, even you weren’t sure. “Oh. Uh, just, just have her pack it up for me. I’ll uh, I’ll get it later.” 

Sans’ face quickly turned into one of anger. “You can’t keep avoiding us, Zen.” His glare was pointed, both his eyelights directly into your eyes. “I understand your fear, your concerns about your magic, and I get why the rest of them are as well, but you need to, I-I don’t know!” He threw his hands in the air in frustration. 

You sighed and looked down at your hands. You really didn’t want to argue right now-

“Zen, please. I understand what it’s like, not knowing how your power will react, not knowing what will happen when called upon, I get it.” You looked up to him then and noted that all traces of anger were gone, replaced with something you couldn’t quite determine. 

A few moments of silence pass between you two, and all you can think about is that he’s experienced something like this before and he’s never told you. Your brow furrowed as you remembered that he never did reveal too much of his past. 

A sigh erupted from Sans, causing you to look back at him. His eyes were closed and his hand was covering half his face. “Zen, look, we can get it under control.” His right eye opened and locked with yours. “I did. I got mine under control, both in my past and after the accident at the college.”

He got up and crossed the room to kneel in front of you. As he grabbed your hands, you watched as both your magic and his flare to life and mingle together as one. Blue lightning and yellow magic began to flow, intermingling with each others’ bodies. Your blue magic surrounding him, fluttering his clothing, as his yellow magic began to cover you, protect you. 

His magic felt like warmth, the kind of warmth you felt while lying in the sun on a nice spring day. The aura filled with a scent close to that of a field of flowers. His magic was so comforting, so inviting, that you found yourself wanting, _needing_ more. 

Sans had a taste of your magic before, but that was nothing like it was now. Now, the lightning, the pure electric sensation of your magic consumed him, numbed his mind and caressed his soul in a way that this magic most certainly shouldn’t be able to. Your magic rolled around and through his bones, like a windstorm. Your magic smelled of petrichor; like a calm autumn rain. It put him at ease, an ease like he’d never felt. 

You both looked at each other then, staring at each others eyes for a few moments before suddenly erupting into uncontrolled laughter. 

A few moments later, you both calmed down enough to get up and walk towards the door. Food sounded amazing right now, but… 

You hesitated as you approached the stairs. Sans noticed and turned around on a few steps down. He smiled at you. 

“Zen, c’mon. They need to feel your magic like I did.” You raised your eyebrow at him in a silent question. 

He chuckled. “You would not believe what your magic feels like.”


	28. A Mother's Glare

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this one's really short but I kinda figured I could get more in-depth and touchy-feely and all that shit by having shorter chapters? It kinda allows me to do more with less. It's weird but it works. 
> 
> So, uh, sorry about the lack of updates? It's been really hard to write and whatnot. Bleh. 
> 
> Anyway! Don't forget to read [Interspecies](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7214863/chapters/16373332) by Moonflower01 cause she's amazing and stuff :3c
> 
> Let me know what you think of the shorter chapter thing. I'M JUST TRYING TO SAVE MY SANITY HERE GUYS, PLEASE FORGIVE ME.

_"You would not believe what your magic feels like…"_

That sentence has been playing in your mind for a few hours now. Even after dinner had passed and you were all sitting in the large living room watching a movie, your mind was focused on nothing more than Sans’ voice. Toriel kept giving you passing glances of concern and… something else that you couldn’t quite determine, and so did Undyne and Frisk, but nobody asked questions. 

At least not yet, anyway. 

“Zenyth?” You jolted out of your thoughts as a gentle voice said your name. You looked to your right and found Toriel staring at you, her brow furrowed. You curled in on yourself and grimaced and looked around to find only her and Sans remained. He was on your left, fast asleep with his head on the arm of the couch. 

“Zen.” The stern, mother-like voice made you cringe even more. You slowly turned back to Toriel and found her staring with one eyebrow raised, a look of clear annoyance in place of the normal concern. 

“Tori, I-“ 

Her paw came up and revealed one finger, shutting you up immediately. “No, you will not speak until I am done. I have left you alone for nearly two weeks but I must have you answer me now. What happened, and what is happening?” 

You breathed in deep and closed your eyes, willing yourself to relax. As you fully exhaled, you opened your eyes and explained everything that had happened that night. Explained why Gaster was suddenly here. Explained that you… killed someone. 

Explained that Frisk had told you about their life beforehand. 

Explained how your powers activated. 

As you finished, she looked deep in thought. Her brow was crinkled and her paw caressed her chin. A few moments pass before she speaks up again. 

“That would explain most of the things the rest of us have experienced, especially with your magic being electricity. That is unusually rare amongst monsters, and I cannot recall a mage that had it. Perhaps Asgore will have more knowledge on that, but…” 

As she trails off, she looks up at you but not into your eyes. Her gaze is directed at your soul. You know that look too well, since Sans has a bad habit of gazing there as well. 

“It is best that we go to bed.” She continues to stare at your soul, and you begin to think something is wrong with it. Is the color off? Is it damaged? Is it swirling with lightning? “I apologize for making you worry. I do not mean to seem brash.”

You have to laugh at that. “Tori, you weren’t brash, you just made me think the worst with all your motherly glaring.” 

She smiles and begins to stand, and in doing so, holds out her hand for yours. You allow her to take your hand and as she pulls you up, you make sure to not jostle the sleepy skeleton beside you. She leads you to the kitchen where a half-full pot of coffee had long gone cold. It’s silent and dark, but you both sit at the table and she goes back to staring at you once more for a few moments before sighing. 

“I am sure you have noticed by now, but I sense there is something… I will not say wrong, but off, with your soul.” 

You nodded and settled into the chair. Your eyes grew heavy, and you could feel yourself drifting. 

“I know. My power is a little weird and I’m still getting used to the feeling of it.” Your brow creases in thought. “Tori, does your power ever let you know its there? Like, can you feel it coursing through you?”

She seems taken aback by the question and you’re almost positive that she doesn’t know what the hell you’re talking about. 

“My child, of course. My magic is the power of flames, where I control fire and can use it both offensively and to heal. Though humans and monsters do not have the same bodies as the other, your magic will flow right beneath your skin.” He reaches for your right hand and begins to gently feel it, observe it. 

“We know that you wield lightning magic, which is very rare. Though I do not know much about it, I can feel something, almost like how static sounds.” 

You nod, and that was enough confirmation she needed. 

“It will distract you, and until you get used to it, I fear that it will hinder you. This is why you must train. If not with Undyne, then perhaps Sans or myself. Sans has knowledge of magic far beyond anyone’s understandings.” 

As if on cue, the clatter of bones on tile alerts you both to Sans’s presence. You look up to find your boyfriend staring at you, his eyes half-lidded and with dark circles. His eyelights are dim and you can tell he just wants to return to bed and sleep. 

You give him a guilty smile and turn to Toriel. 

“It seems our friendly skeleton could use some help returning to his crypt.” 

Sans chuckles and Toriel giggles. 

He shrugs and leans on the entryway to the kitchen. “What can I say, I sleep like the dead.” 

Toriel giggles again and waves her paw at him. “Alright, alright. Go get some well needed rest.” She looks you dead in the eye with the mother-glare and says, “I expect you to be ready for training tomorrow.” 

You don’t have the courage to tell her no. 

As you head up to your room for the night, Sans slowly grasps your hand in his. You exhale and close your eyes as you lean into him and rest your head on his shoulder. He breathily laughs and embraces you. You stand like that for a few moments before he lets you go and leads you back to the bedroom. 

As you get into more comfortable clothing and turn off the lights, your mind begins to clear. As soon as you are under the comforter and your head is on the pillow, you fall asleep, nestled in the arms of a skeleton who finally is able to get a good night sleep. 

 

\------------------------------------

 

_“Momma, can I feel?”_

_The woman laughs and gestures the child over. “Of course, but be gentle.”_

_The child places their hand on the woman’s stomach and waits patiently. A few moments of nothing and the child begins to frown. Their brow creases and their mouth sets into a frown._

_Then they gasp._

_“Momma! They’re moving!”_

_Another laugh, followed by the woman’s hand reaching over the child’s head to tussle their hair._

_“They can’t wait to meet you. Do you want a brother or a sister?”_

_The child steps back and puts their fingers to their chin in thought. Shaking their head, they look at their mother._

_“I want them to choose!”_

_“So you’ll be okay with what they choose!”_

_“Yea!”_

_She laughs again. “Okay, Zen. We’ll see tonight then. You’ll get to meet them soon.”_


	29. Eggs and Ketchup

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yea, another update in like two days :o I was hellbent on finishing this chapter and I knew it was gonna be about 2,000 words but... 
> 
> I didn't want it to end this way. It works though. I was beyond irritated while finishing this chapter and it definitely showed towards the end. Not sorry, since it allows for a weirder development plot to what I have going. 
> 
> Anyway! Song included in the chapter is 7 Years by Lukas Graham, cause it's probably one of my newer favorites. Will have another song included in the next chapter or several chapters from now. We'll see. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy. 
> 
> Edit: Also notice I switch tenses a lot, which is a big oops. I'll come back and edit that when I'm in a better mood. Sorry!

The sound of your alarm brings you out of your restful slumber, allowing you to feel the world around slowly gain shape, hear the noises of morning, and most definitely feel a furry feline pawing at your face. You slowly open your left eye to glare at the calico, who is gazing intently at your face. Upon noticing you have awoken, she begins to purr and meows loudly. 

You laugh and slowly begin to move, only to find you are tangled in a mess of bones. Your eyes look over the sleeping skeleton, who continues to sleep even though the alarm is blaring and you have begun to move. Little snoring noises and a small line of drool let you know he will not wake for some time. You smile and lean over to give him a small peck on the cheek before removing yourself from the comfort of your bed to the chilly morning air. 

You shiver as your feet hit the wooden floor, but your precious little furball prances over to her food dish where she waits not-so-patiently. You grab a can of her favorite food and empty it into her bowl, where she begins to eat. You yawn and stretch, and as your senses slowly begin to clear, you note that it is a little chillier than it should be. You rub your arms as the chill begins to set in, and you walk over to the thermostat. 

You cock your head as you read the illuminated screen, which says it’s a perfect 74 in the room. You shake your head and make a note to have someone restart it once everyone is awake. You walk to your dresser and fish through it to find the one thermal long-sleeve shirt that you own, which is army green with a black design based on a video game you loved. You pull off your nightshirt and don the thermal just as the smell of strong and fresh coffee pervades your room. 

Smiling, you grab your phone and open the door to give one last glance to your sleeping boyfriend before heading downstairs where a few members of the family are gathering. 

Toriel is making breakfast, as usual, which explains the smell of coffee. Undyne and Papyrus are up and raring to go, full of energy that never seems to waver. Alphys is up as well, all dressed up in her lab coat, arms full of binders and papers for the day ahead. Frisk was nowhere to be seen, but that was fine. College was open until next week, but Frisk was on her spring break, and so was allowed to sleep in. 

You check your phone and see that Grillby has left you a message. 

**Grillby:** Zen, could you come in early today? If not, please come at your usual time. 

You text him that you would be in as soon as you could, and walk over to grab a cup of coffee. Toriel is making omelets and asks if you would like anything specific, to which you tell her to make you a simple cheese omelet. As she got to work on that, you go to the fridge and grab the milk, creamer, and the bottle of ketchup. Not just for Sans, this time. 

You make your coffee just the way you liked, put the milk and creamer in the fridge, and sat down at the table. Undyne, Papyrus, and Alphys were all engaged in conversation and as your mind had not perfectly cleared yet, you thought it best to stay quiet and just… 

Your brow creased as you remembered your dream. A memory from long ago, when your brother was born. Marcus was only five years younger than you, but it was definitely one hell of a difference. You remembered being so excited when he was born, but once he started drooling… 

You sneered at the thought. It was one of the things that convinced you that you didn’t need kids. The whole drool and snot and poop thing really disgusted you with Marcus, and you actively refused to help change diapers or give him baths. 

You still don’t understand why you had that dream, that memory, but it could wait until later. 

You made a mental note to call your family during break. 

Toriel placed your cheese omelet in front of you and glanced at the ketchup with an eyebrow raised, then back to you. You smirked at her as you grabbed the ketchup and poured a bit onto your plate, where you proceeded to cut into your omelet and dip the egg and cheese mixture into the ketchup. 

You quickly noticed just how quiet the kitchen had gotten, and as you turned towards the other three monsters, you found them all looking at you with a mixture of concern and disgust. You saw movement out of the corner of your eye and as you glanced towards it, found Sans standing in the entryway to the kitchen, one browbone raised. 

You smiled as you ate your ketchup covered cheese omelet, and silently praised yourself as four out of five monsters made sounds of disgust. Undyne and Papyrus removed themselves from the kitchen and you could hear them mumbling something about how Sans is a bad influence on you. He snickered and walked into the kitchen to sit beside you. You dipped another piece of your omelet into the ketchup and aimed towards him. He leaned forwards and took the bite. 

As he finishes his bite, he smiles and says, “I am definitely a bad influence on you.”

 

\------------------------------------

 

An hour later and you’re running around Grillby’s, making sure everyone has drinks and that their orders have been taken. Once everyone is good, you breathe a sigh of relief and sit at the booth to relax and begin folding silverware. Grillby emerges from the kitchen to stand behind the bar, where he grabs a glass and fills it with a mixture of sloe gin and coke. 

You smile as he places the glass in front of you. As you pick it, you tip it towards him and take a sip, finding it exactly right. 

“Thanks, Grillby. Needed that.” 

He nods once. “I could tell. You do not have your usual energy.” 

You sigh heavily as you take another sip. “Yea, I don’t know what’s up. Just feel… weird. Toriel says there’s something up with my soul.”

You could see the flames that make up his brow flare and close in on each other as he goes silent in thought. You continue to fold some silverware and take a few more sips of your drink. The customers start thinning out as the lunch crowd begins to disperse and return to work. As the last customer shuffles out and you get up to bus the tables, you begin to realize just how quiet the restaurant is. You look back to the bar and find Grillby nowhere in sight. Your brow creases and you are about to return to cleaning the table when a large and crackling boom from outside startles you. You clutch your chest as you whip your head towards the large window wall and find it to be storming. 

Shaking your head, you reach for your phone and earbuds and select the music app. You click shuffle and the first song to pop up was an instant favorite. The music box that starts the song makes you close your eyes and smile. 

_\--Once I was seven years old, my mama told me, “Go make yourself some friends or you’ll be lonely.” Once I was seven years old.--_

You opened your eyes and exhaled a breath you weren’t aware you were holding and got back to bussing the tables. 

_\--It was a big, big world, but we thought we were bigger. Pushing each other to the limits, we were learning quicker. By eleven, smoking herb and drinking burning liquor. Never rich so we were out to make that steady figure.--_

Your body unconsciously began to sway in time to the background beat, and your mind settled into a peaceful mood. 

_\--Once I was eleven years old, my daddy told me, “Go get yourself a wife or you’ll be lonely.” Once I was eleven years old.--_

You smiled even bigger and you began to lightly sing along. Grillby had returned from the kitchen and was watching you intently while you were oblivious to your surroundings. 

_\--I always had that dream, like my daddy before me. So I started writing songs, I started writing stories. Something about that glory just always seemed to bore me. Cause only those I really love will ever really know me.--_

You moved to the next table, still singing and still oblivious. A familiar skeleton had walked into the restaurant and walked slowly towards the bar, all while keeping his eyelights trained on you. Unfortunately, said skeleton didn’t see the chair in his way and promptly tripped, alarming you immediately. 

You ripped out and earbud and whipped around to find Sans on his hands and knees. He quickly got up and smiled nervously. Your blush was vivid red, as you realized that not just Sans, but Grillby, had indeed been listening to you. Your breathing was careful and calculated as you tried not to panic in embarrassment. 

You swallowed and put the earbud back into your ear and continued to bus the tables, attempting to focus on the music rather than the two men behind you. The song had switched to something heavier with a much deeper voice, and allowed you to lose yourself to the music rather than your thoughts and distractions. 

By the time you were done bussing the tables and placing the chairs back where they belonged, it was time for your break. Without giving the two men a reason, you walked out the front door and around the wall to the parking lot where there were two stone benches. You sat on the one nearest the door and stopped the music so that you could call your mother. 

The phone rings twice and then a voice on the other end sounds. “Hello?” 

“Hey, mom.” 

You could practically hear here excitement, which quickly reminds you that you haven’t exactly told her of recent events… or that you haven’t called her in near three weeks. 

“Zenyth! Oh my goodness, I haven’t heard from you in a while!” 

You wince. “Yea, sorry about that. Lots of things have been happening and it’s been kinda crazy.” 

“Well I insist that you tell me, since you failed to contact your mother in three weeks.” 

At that you roll your eyes. “I told you it’s been crazy, and by crazy if I tell you I almost died would you take it seriously?” 

“Not serious enough to tell your mother.” 

You close your eyes and resort to breathing out of your nose, attempting to not blow up or hang up. You were not in the mood for this, even if you knew this was likely to happen. 

“Mom, I’m actually serious. All of us have been trying to get back to normal life after this shit. A lot of things have happened and I only have a bit to explain some of it cause I’m on break.” 

She goes silent for a few moments, before you hear her sigh. “You have this certain tone when you’re serious. Should I be worried now, or?” 

“No, mom. It’s good and over with, but please just listen while I explain what I can.” 

“Alright, I’m listening.” 

 

\------------------------------------

 

Work continued to go as smoothly as ever, though you could tell your mood was making some of the monsters nervous. You could have gone home earlier but you knew that Grillby needed the help and you honestly needed to focus on something other than yourself. 

It wasn’t just your mother or your overall mood, it was a growing concern for your soul and what Toriel had said. Was the thing wrong with your soul affecting your mood? Was it affecting you in some other way that only the other monsters could see? 

You unconsciously clenched your hands into fists as you began walking to your car. It was late at night and time to go home, but you found you couldn’t even be thankful for it. You were too distracted and… _angry_ to even start driving. 

_You know what, fuck it._

With that, you drove home in probably one of the worst moods you’d ever been in, and you had no clue as to why.


	30. Strange Days

When you arrive home, you find that everyone is already in bed, save for Sans who was simply waiting for you. You enter the kitchen and find him sitting at the dining table, fiddling with his phone. You walk to him, sit in the chair beside him, and as you close your eyes, lean lightly onto his shoulder. You feel rather than hear his chuckle. 

“Long day, love?” 

You grumble at him and he chuckles again. 

“S’not funny.” You frown as you say it, and groggily move off of his shoulder. “Jus’ wanna go to bed. Today sucked.” 

“M’kay. Then let’s get going.” 

You head towards the room and as you slide under the covers, you don’t even have time to settle in before you fall asleep. 

 

\--------------------------------

 

_Zen walks through the white-walled, white-floored room towards her mother, who is holding a small bundle wrapped in a blue blanket. She notices Zen’s presence and smiles._

_“Hey, baby girl. Want to meet your baby brother?”_

_Zenyth nods eagerly and the man behind her lifts her up onto the hospital bed. Her mother reveals the babies’ face to Zenyth, who gasps in awe._

_“His name is Marcus.” She smiles at Zenyth again and begins to release her breast from her hospital gown. “He should be going home soon. Be a good girl for when your brother gets home, okay? You’re a big sister now.”_

_Zenyth smiles widely. “I’ll help daddy! And I’ll help mommy and Marcus when you guys get home!”_

_Her parents laugh. “Alright, Zen, time to go home.”_

 

\--------------------------------

 

You awake to the realization that your bed is a bit lopsided. Groaning, you turn over and find Sans… well, not there. Confusion and irritation swell within you, forcing you to awaken further as you sit up and take a searching glance around the room. You throw the covers off of you and make your way towards the bathroom to relieve yourself and freshen up before heading to your closet and getting dressed in comfortable morning clothes. 

Once finished, you open your bedroom door slowly, listening for signs of Sans or any of the monster family. When you hear none, your furrow your eyebrows and head downstairs. As you walk into the living room, there is no one. You continue into the kitchen and find only a note upon the dining table. 

_Zenyth,_

_I am sorry my dear, but something came up at the Courtroom and we must attend. Frisk is at school and may need to be picked up, and Sans is with myself and Asgore. He did not want to wake you._

_We will hopefully make it back in time for dinner._

_Toriel_

You sighed and put the note down. Next on your mind was food, and upon checking the fridge, find that Toriel either did not make enough food for leftovers, or simply didn’t make anything. With that, you decide to head out and find food elsewhere. 

 

\--------------------------------

 

You sit in the booth nearest the bar at Grillby’s, phone in hand. You came with a change of work clothes, phone charger, and money as needed until you began working. It was around noon when you came in, and your shift didn’t start until four. You would have to leave to pick up Frisk from school, but there was nothing else in your day besides that and work. 

So, until three, you were stuck at Grillby’s. You haven’t worked at Muffet’s in a while, but she did finally manage to hire some extra help – another monster with extra hands – and so cut your hours. You didn’t mind at all, since it allowed you to be with Grillby, and occasionally Gaster. 

Speaking of Gaster, today was one of the few days he was actually in the restaurant. He sat at the bar, filling out paperwork and what looked like bills. You could hear him murmur, most of it careful in thought or under his breath, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Everything was paid for and there would be enough food and supplies for the coming week. 

Your phone vibrated and caught your attention, though it wasn’t a text or phone call. You flipped through your apps until you found Mail and clicked on it, finding an email from a college; a college that you applied to well over a year ago but had put your attendance on hold. Your eyebrow lifted in surprise as you opened it, finding that they were emailing you about your interest for Creative Writing… 

Your breath stopped and you covered your mouth in shock as you continued reading. You forced yourself to read over it again and again and again to make sure, to make certain, that you weren’t being played. 

 

_Zenyth Rivers,_

_Thank you for your continued interest into our online courses for Creative Writing! I have just been informed of your change of address and our staff has taken notice that you are living among the Monsters from the Underground._

_King Asgore and Queen Toriel contacted us recently, regarding your attendance and your tuition costs. As we have discussed before, a four-year online degree for Creative Writing would cost $38,750 - not including scholarships and loans._

_As your Student Liaison, I would like to inform you of two things:_

_1\. We would like to inform you that a new staff position has opened up and we would like to extend the position to you. It is simply helping the Monster students, both on-campus and online, transition into college and letting them know they have our support. None of us have experience with Monsters like you do, and we believe that you may also be able to help us learn.  
2\. After our chat with King and Queen Dreemur, I would like to inform you that they have paid off all of your tuition in hopes that you will continue reaching for you Bachelor’s. I have attached the receipt and confirmation that the payment went through, as they have requested. _

_Please contact me back when you can so we can discuss your future here and the things pointed out earlier._

 

You hadn’t yet realized that you were crying, nor that Gaster and Grillby were attempting to get your attention. When you finally looked up, your hand still covering your mouth, you saw that Gaster’s face was twisted with concern and Grillby was a flickering and popping mess. 

You laughed from behind your head and closed your eyes. “Guys, I’m okay!” 

“You do not _look_ okay!” Gaster quickly said. Grillby continued to pop beside him, which melted your mood just slightly. 

You shook your head and pointed your phone in their direction. Gaster’s gaze was quickly drawn to the phone and as his eyelights whipped left to right, his eyesockets got wider and wider until he looked up to you.

“That explains quite a lot, now. My dear, I think you’ve more than earned that.” 

Grillby finally looks up and nods in agreement, but instead of speaking, he drags you out of your booth to embrace you in a tight hug to which you return. The other monsters in the restaurant were all looking in your direction with similar expressions of confusion and interest. When explained, all of them gathered around to congratulate you and insisted that you take up the offer, that they would pass word around. 

When you picked up Frisk from school, you explained to her that you would be taking her to Grillby’s for a while until everyone returned home. She seemed all right with that idea and once there, sat at the booth you had claimed and proceeded to do her homework. You would tell her of the news later on, when you had your break. 

 

\--------------------------------

 

Grillby ended your shift early, only about three hours later, and so did not get a break. On the way home, you explained what the two goat monsters did, and she squealed with excitement. 

As soon as you entered the home, you expected that everyone would be calm and the goat monsters would act as if they knew nothing… 

What you didn’t expect was the house to be lit up with candles, music to be blaring, and a giant banner above the stairs reading “HAPPY BIRTHDAY”. 

_….Oh, right. Today’s my birthday._

Too stunned to speak, Frisk grabbed your hand and led you to the kitchen where the most noise could be heard. Everyone was there, surrounding the dining table with a large cake in the middle. It was decorated with a beige frosting and black letters, again, saying happy birthday. 

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ZEN!” Each and every monster screamed out, making you cringe but you smiled nonetheless. Both of your hands covered your face as you laughed and cried happy tears. 

An arm wrapped around your waist and a voice, deep and calming, whispered, “Happy Birthday, love.” 

You huffed a laugh and turned to him and hugged him, shoving your face into the crook of his neck and shoulder. 

“You guys are too much.” You said with a wavering voice. The music was turned down slightly and you could hear the collective laughs among them. 

“No, my dear. We did this for you because you’ve earned it.” 

You turned to her instantly and glared at her, earning you a startled grunt. 

“I got an email today, Tori. An email from my _college_.” She dips her head and smiles sheepishly. “An email saying that a certain pair of goat-parents have paid my tuition.” 

The surprised grunt from Sans was enough to inform you that he wasn’t in on this, but the giggle and hearty laugh from Asgore and Toriel told you of their guilt. 

“Guys, honestly,” you began, “if you got me anything more I wouldn’t be able to accept it. Do you guys know what college debt you just saved me from?” 

Toriel’s smile turned gentle. “Of course, my dear. That is why we paid it off. You have done more for us in a year than most humans have done in the past six years we have been Aboveground.” 

“Zenyth,” the deep and booming voice from across the table made you look over to Asgore, “you have earned this. I can only hope this was enough.” 

You shook your head at him and laughed. “Guys, you don’t understand. This meant more to me than my life.” You began to cry again. “This means so damned much and I can’t begin to thank you. Nothing I saw will mean what I feel.” 

They all moved towards you and embraced you. 

That night was spent eating cake, laughing, dancing, singing, and eventually, after some convincing from Undyne and after Frisk and Papyrus went to bed, drinking. 

As you filled your second drink of gin, Sans came up from behind you and wrapped his arms around your waist, his mouth dangerously close to your ear. 

“I’ve got a present for later. Sound good.” You smiled mischievously and turned to him, gave him a small kiss to his forehead, and nodded. 

The hours flew by and by the time you and Sans made your way back to your room, it was around one in the morning. He led you in, and you both enjoyed your night before finally finding sleep as the sun began to rise. 

Tonight was your night. Everything else could wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here, have a birthday chapter cause it's my birthday, too :D
> 
> I'm officially 22 and my license expired so I'm gonna be driving around hunting Pokemon with an expired license, which is cool. I'm having tacos tonight, too. I love tacos. 
> 
> Also, I noticed I didn't include the date so in actuality, Zen's birthday is April 20th. Hehhhh... [inserting blaze it joke here]


	31. Vertigo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M SORRY IT TOOK SO LONG. I'M SO SORRY. 
> 
> It's hard to juggle being an author and gamer and daughter and sister all at the same time, you know? Plus there was a lack of motivation, AGAIN, but you know what? Longer chapter. Kinda. 
> 
> Also, sorry not sorry for the end of it. Heh.

Pain. 

That was the first thing your mind registered when you awoke. You groaned and grabbed at your head, massaging the spot between your left your left eye and temple. The pillow beneath your head and the comforter covering you made it feel like a sauna. 

You threw off the covers and made to stand but the quick movement made your head spin. You slowly opened your eyes to the harsh light that was the sunrise peaking through your windows. Wincing, you placed your feet on the ground and stood, making sure not to jostle your head and worsen your already painful headache. You made your way towards the bathroom, opening the mirror to reveal your medications. You sifted through your medications until you found a bottle that looked like your headache medication. You opened the bottle to find a single pill. Groaning, you got a glass of water and swallowed the pill. 

You sighed and leaned over the sink, focusing on breathing and remaining calm in hopes that your headache would ease. Behind you, you heard the quiet clatter of bones on wood flooring. You have felt relieved to know he was awake if you weren’t already distracted. 

He placed his hands upon your shoulders and lightly squeezed. You lifted off of the sink and leaned back into him, where his arms wrapped carefully around you. 

“you okay?” He asked, his voice muddled with sleep. 

“Jus’ a headache…” you groan out as you turn around towards him. He caresses your face and you lean into it, closing your eyes. “m’woke up with it.” 

“you’re burnin’ up, love.” 

“I bet.” You say, a bit of sarcasm poking through. 

He laughs lightly and begins to drag you back towards the bed. “You need to rest. I haven’t seen one this bad in a while.” 

“I haven’t _felt_ one this bad in ‘while.” 

You crawl onto the bed and lightly place your head on the pillow. Vertigo sets in as you do so, forcing you to close your eyes in an attempt to calm your racing heartbeat and throbbing head. 

“I’m gonna go find Tori n’see if she can do anything to help.” 

All you can do is wave him away before returning to the welcoming darkness. 

 

 

Sans quietly closes the door to your shared bedroom before allowing himself to expel a held breath. He wasn’t lying when he said he’s never seen it this bad. Sure, you had an occasional headache and an even rarer migraine, but nothing so bad that it made you slur and stumble. 

He leans against the wall for a few moments, attempting to decide on what to do when Alphys comes trudging down the hallway with her nose pointed at her tablet screen. 

She hadn’t yet taken notice of him, seemingly engrossed in something he could only guess was a scientific find or a new anime she had found, and so he fell in behind her, making sure to keep the clacking of his feet on the wood flooring as quiet as he could. 

She reached the stairwell and made to press a button on the device when he placed his hands on both her shoulders and breathily whispered, “Hey.” 

A loud squeak erupted from the lizard as she jumped and began juggling her device, preventing it from hitting the floor. She placed a hand over her chest and glared at him while her breathing calmed down. 

Once calm, she rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Sans, t-that was totally unca-called for.” 

He chuckled and smirked at her. “Sorry, Alph. You kinda let it happen.” 

She shook her head once more. “So wh-what if I did?” She quickly turned towards him then with her brow furrowed. 

“What are y-you doing up a-at this hour an-anyway?” 

“Eh, Zen’s not feelin’ so well. Got a major headache. Was gonna look for Tori.” 

At that, Alphys nodded. “She left an hour ag-ago but said she wo-would be back before noon. It’s al-almost eleven. Perhaps m-make her some tea or co-coffee?” 

“Yea, that might help a bit. Might call her mom n’see if she knows anything.” His eyes widened in realization. “Suppose a conversation with her is overdue.”

Alphys raised a brow in silent question. 

Sans chuckled nervously and began rubbing the back of his neck. “I uh, I haven’t spoken to her since we left Texas.” 

Alphys’s eyes widened and she made a noise that let him know that she completely understood his predicament. 

But the eyebrow waggle, he could have done without. 

“Oh, you and her ha-have _much_ to dis-discuss.” 

Sans sneered at her. “You nasty.”

She giggled and made her way down the stairs. “I’ll make coffee. You ma-make that phone call.” 

He shook his head and made his way back to the bedroom where he quietly opened and closed the door. You were lying on the bed, and he could lightly hear you snoring. He smiled and walked towards the closet and got dressed in a pair of black sweatpants, white t-shirt, and his black hoodie. Finding his shoes by the front door, he slipped them on left to find Toriel. 

 

 

Alphys sat at the kitchen table, waiting for the coffee to get done brewing. She made it strong, just the way you like it, with a little bit of espresso mixed into it. A long time ago, you had told her about caffeine and the benefits of it, as well as your dependency on it. Alphys knew a little bit of it, since they occasionally had some coffee flow down into Waterfall, but not enough to do some good research on it. 

Now she enjoyed coffee just as much as you did. Definitely not more than you, but still enough. 

This morning she had been looking up a new anime that you had recommended, something a lot different than she had ever watched. Usually is was the cutesy anime, but you had had almost enough with it. Alphys knew you liked the violent and bloody anime so was skeptical at first when you told her to look up _Silver Spoon_ but now that Alphys had actually looked it up, she was intrigued. An anime about farm-life and farm animals? How could that be bad?

The gurgling sound of the coffee maker let Alphys know that it was done brewing, so she got up and fixed your cup, just how you liked it. 

Leaving her tablet on the table, she headed towards your room. Careful not to spill the full cup, she knocked on your door. With no response, she walked in to find you sleeping. 

She gently placed the cup on your nightstand and shook your arm a bit. Groaning, you opened one eye slightly and glared. Alphys giggled quietly. 

“Sans told me y-you might need coffee. I m-made some.”

You grunted in acknowledgment and slowly made to sit up. You made a grabby hand at the coffee cup and Alphys handed it to you. As you sipped it, you immediately felt some relief. 

“I may, or may not, have needed caffeine.” You said, peeking at Alphys from over the rim. 

“Yes, well, if you haven’t h-had any in a few days…” 

“Yea, plus I’m just not getting much sleep.” Alphys furrowed her eyebrows. 

“You haven’t been g-getting sleep?”

You shook your head slightly. “Nope. Hasn’t been a big deal, but I should probably take a day or two off. Grillby and Muffet should understand.” You took another sip of coffee. “Where’s Sans?” 

“Oh! He went t-to find Toriel. Y-your headache was worrying him.” 

You rolled your eyes. “I just need sleep… and caffeine.”

“Then I should l-let you get so-some sleep.”

“Alright. Thanks for the coffee.”

 

 

Sans had found Toriel inside the school, but was busy with a staff meeting. He would have to wait until after lunch before he could get a moment with her, and so was sitting inside Grillby’s with a basket of fries covered in ketchup at his usual spot at the bar. 

He had already informed Grillby about your current condition, and had only a few words to spare before a flood of customers overtook anything that Sans had tried to accomplish – one of them was trying to get you a day off. 

This is when Sans remembered that he had to call your mother. With a grimace and small groan, he brought out the phone from his jacket pocket and pulled up her number. 

After a deep breath, he pressed the call button. 

After two rings, he heard the line pick up. 

_“Now hold on a second!”_ She yelled into the phone. He winced and quickly pulled the phone away from the side of his head. Slowly pulling it back, he heard a distant conversation – of what exactly, he didn’t know – but it sounded heated. Booming voices could be heard among higher pitched voices, but mostly he could hear Lilian’s. 

She was not happy. 

After another few moments, the sounds faded and Sans could hear a door slam shut. 

_“Hey, I’m so sorry about that. Who is this?”_

“Heh, now worries. Sounded like you were pretty busy.”

She paused and he could practically hear her contemplating whose voice she was hearing. 

_“Wait, I know this voice.”_

“Well, you should, considering I took your daughter to the farthest reaches of the world.” 

He hears a chuckle. _“Ah, Sans. It’s good to hear from you, even if it’s been almost a year since I’ve heard from you.”_

“Ha…” He says, nervousness starting to show in his voice and face. Grillby had moved to behind the bar once again and set to cleaning a glass, but Sans could faintly see the flames that made up an eyebrow raise. 

“Yea, I’m sorry about that. A lot’s been going-“ 

_“I’m well aware that_ a lot _has been going on, Sans. Little do you know, Zenyth_ calls me _and texts me and updates me on the things going on between you two. I_ know _, Sans.”_

He stayed silent, silently worrying about what could have transpired within these talks… as well as what Lilian meant that she _knew_. 

_“Sans, no need to worry. Everything that Zen talks about is how works going and how you two have been getting on. I did want to check up on you about that… incident…”_

His nervousness immediately dissipated as she brought up the sensitive subject that had been plaguing the monster community, especially himself and Zen. He furrowed his brow and leaned forward onto the bar. 

“What exactly do you mean by checking up?”

_”I mean that Zen told me that gang activity had put you both in danger and that you had gotten seriously hurt. She never went into details but it sounded serious, Sans. I’ve never heard her that emotional.”_

He brought the hood of his jacket up and over his head and aimed his gaze at the wood of the bar. 

“It was…” He began, but stopped to regain his thoughts and carefully word it. If he told it like how it really was, who knows how Lilian would react.

But didn’t Zen want her parents to be closer anyways?

He sighed. “It was a little worse than whatever she said, but where I’m at right now, I can’t exactly talk about it.” 

She paused for a few moments and he could hear a rustle in the background, though he wasn’t sure if it was paper or something else. 

_”I suppose I can understand that. You’ll have to explain it later, though.”_

“I know, but I did call to ask you a question.” 

_”Then ask away.”_

“What was the worst you’ve ever seen of Zen’s headaches? She’s havin’ a pretty bad one today and I’m not sure if the meds will help.” 

_“Hm. Her headaches were never that bad, but they were chronic. What’s different about this one?”_

“She’s running a bit of a fever and she’s slurring. She hasn’t been feeling the greatest the last few days.” 

_”Then just let her rest and get her some coffee, dark chocolate, stuff with high caffeine. Make sure she doesn’t sleep on it, cause it usually made hers worse.”_

Well crap. 

_“But you said she hadn’t been feeling well?”_

“Yea, she’s been kinda just… well, in her words, she’s been feeling slow. She’s not getting enough sleep.”

_”Alright, well, perhaps this is when our conversation can wait until later. I’d like to talk with both of you, so whenever you get with her again, let me know.”_

“Yea, I’m just waitin’ for Tori. Alphys and I are tryin’ to see if her healing magic might be able to help out.” 

_”Toriel has healing magic?”_

“Yea, ha. Just enough to heal a humans cuts and bruises, nothing major.” Just then he felt a hand on his shoulder, and thinking it was Grillby, turned around. 

He did not expect to see Toriel. 

“Ah, Lilian, I gotta go. Tori’s here.” 

_”No worries, just keep me informed.”_

“Will do.” 

 

 

You sighed as you set down the empty cup of coffee on the nightstand and returned to your comfortable position as you set your attention back onto your laptop which was playing one of your favorite movies. You had tried to sleep but it hadn’t worked as intended, as it only worsened your headache. 

So instead, you had retrieved your laptop and began watching your favorite movie. Nothing could compare to being home, off of work, drinking coffee and watching movies and online videos. You could do without the lingering and throbbing pain within your head, though. 

The sound of the door opening caught your attention, causing you to look up from your movie. Sans walked in with a sheepish smile, and behind him, Toriel slowly walked in. You began to sit up, but the motion made that sense of vertigo return. 

“No need to get up, child.” Toriel’s calm and gentle voice cut through the dizziness. “Let me see what I can do.” 

She leaned forward and placed her large paw upon your forehead and you could feel her healing magic activate as the headache almost instantly faded and was replaced with a feeling of warmth. 

The soft gasp from her was enough to startle you and Sans. Furrowing your brow, you gazed straight into her eyes with a silent question. She did not return your gaze. Instead, she removed her paw and rested it just above your chest. She let it hover there for a few moments before finally placing it on your chest. Her magic activated for a split second before withdrawing her paw entirely and placing it on her mouth. 

She looked to Sans with a shocked expression before returning that same expression to you. When she finally looked you in the eyes, she faintly shook her head. 

“Zenyth, you are not sick…”


	32. Cleaning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT: So after a few hours of my chapter being up, I realized that I have broken 100k words... 
> 
> This is cause for celebration. I shall think of something soon. 
> 
> But for the meantime, I just want to thank you all - everyone who has read my story from the first day I posted, new readers, and those that have even followed me on Tumblr - for sticking with me. You guys have no idea how much this means to me. I mean, the first comment on Ch 32 made my heart skip I'm not even kidding ;~; I hadn't posted in over a month and you'RE STILL READING THIS. 
> 
> I love you all. Ch 33 will be special. I'll work extra hard on it. It won't be a filler, but may the fluff flow through every ounce of my being.... with a side of angst. It will be significantly longer as well. As I said, cause for celebration. 
> 
> Anyway, I'm rambling. I love you all. So damned much.

Toriel remained silent, as did Sans. 

“Tori, what do you mean?” Sans asked, brow furrowed. 

She shook her head. “I believe this would be best dealt with by a human doctor. I see something but I will not say it unless a human can tell me that I am right.” 

With that, she got up and promptly left the room, leaving both you and Sans in a similar state of confusion. The silence that followed continued to remain for nearly an hour, only interrupted by the sound of shuffling bedding as Sans moved onto the bed. Your movie and laptop went forgotten as you tried to make sense of what Toriel had said. 

_You are not sick…_

That’s all she was going to say? No clarification? 

The hour of silence had left you simmering and only seemed to anger you more. Sans could tell, as even though he was confused, he was more concerned for you and your health. He had sat there, watching your expressions change from confused, to wonder, to concern, and finally, to irritation. 

“Zen, I wouldn’t worry too much.” His voice interrupted the silence, immediately drawing your attention to him. “I’m sure she knows what’s up. Just needs to make sure.”

“But why? Is monster health so much different than a humans?” As you said it, you knew the answer. You sighed and leaned forward onto your hand. 

“You know it is. Our health is based on the state of our soul. Humans, well…” 

You groaned loudly, making Sans laugh. “She’s probably making me an appointment now…” 

Your eyes snapped open. _Toriel doesn’t know about insurance._

You jumped up and out of bed, running out the door to find Toriel. 

 

 

Several hours later after making an appointment and teaching Toriel about how insurance works, you had an appointment in two days time with a new doctor. Apparently the only thing that was going to keep you from doing everyday things was your headache. 

You called Grillby to let him know you’d be going in tomorrow. He was ecstatic. Apparently today had been hectic, keeping him on his toes and not allowing any breathing room. You laughed at him and told him he’d be alright; told him a fire pun. That left him groaning but definitely in better spirits. 

You spent the better part of the day roaming around the home, cleaning what you could. Toriel was always cleaning, always making sure the house was _presentable_ , even if it was already spotless. Not a speck of dust in sight but she always insistent that something needed cleaned. 

You made your way to the kitchen, finding a few things in the sink yet to be washed. As you got yourself busy in the kitchen, finding that the appliances themselves needed to be scrubbed, Sans had come in with your laptop. You told him which playlist to play and he then joined you. 

The music was upbeat and much different than what Sans hears on a normal day. Usually you had rock or indie music playing, but today it was all electronic noises with heavy bass that shook the speakers of the poor device. He watched you through the corner of his eye socket, seeing that you were bobbing your head along with the music and casually enjoying yourself. _Weird._

Another song came on, a bit different than the others, and immediately Sans noticed that you liked the song a bit more than any of the others. You were still bobbing your head, but you were humming and swinging your shoulders left and right along with the beat. He looked over to your laptop, attempting to see the song name, but it was closed a little too much for him to see. 

_“We rise. We rise. We rise. We rise. We rise… We rise, we fall. We rise… We rise, we fall. We rise. We rise, we fall.”_

The beat changed once again and you followed it. Too interested in the music, Sans placed down the washcloth he had been using to scrub the stovetop and walked over to your laptop to see what kind of songs were on the list. 

The one currently playing was named We Rise, which caused Sans to raise a brow in amusement. There were several different genre’s of music, ranging from rock to trap to electro-swing – to which Sans could have sworn the question mark finally had a sound – and even a single indie song. He clicked play on the one electro-swing song in the playlist and it began with fingers snapping and a slow build up of extra music. When he turned back to look at you, he found you watching him with a smirk on your face, all the while still cleaning and bobbing along to the beat. 

“Like the new songs?” you asked. “That ones a new favorite. Public Enemy, I think it is.” 

Sans laughed and nodded. Interesting song, to be sure. 

As he went further down the list, he noticed that most of it was either something that you could swing your hips to or sing to. Song names were considerably different, with no rime or reason to the playlist other than songs that probably meant something to you. 

Some names stood out to Sans a bit more than others; Nova, Echo, Rivolta Silenziosa, Spider Dance (Remix), 7 Years, Mashed Potatoes (what?), Judgment, and Staying (the only one labeled indie). 

But the two his eyelights rested on currently were a bit different. One was named Stronger Than You, which he swore sounded familiar, and another… named… 

Spooky Scary Skeletons. 

His face deadpanned as he turned towards you. You were leaning against the counter, the coffee maker bubbling behind you with a fresh brew, with an eyebrow raised and a small, building, totally not innocent smile growing on your face. 

“What song ya gonna pick now?” 

Without looking away from you, he double-clicked the song. 

_”Spooky scary skeletons, send shivers down your spine. Shrieking skulls will shock your soul, seal your doom tonight.”_

Your innocent smile immediately faded into one that said “oh my god he found out” but held no apology. 

_”Spooky scary skeletons, speak with such a screech. You’ll shake and shudder in surprise, when you hear these zombies shriek.”_

“Really.” Was all Sans could honestly say at that moment. 

The upbeat tempo and dubstep feel to it let him know someone put one hell of an effort into this song and he was slowly being offended that something like this was even created. 

“Sans, it’s okay!” you said between laughs and hiccups. 

“How is that okay?” He asked with a hint of irritation that instantly made you simmer. You walked up to the laptop and pressed the Next button, where the song called Staying began to play. 

“It was written way before we knew you guys existed.” You explained. “To humans, skeletons are a part of life. You are a skeleton monster, yes, but humans are held together by skin, muscles, tissue, and bones. We have an entire skeleton within us.” 

Your smile was light as you looked at him. His face was stoic. “You’ve been here for about seven years. You know how Halloween is celebrated among humans. Kids dress up as ghosts and skeletons and animals. Let them be kids. Many people across the world haven't been able to experience what we have and even then, Halloween is only celebrated by certain groups."

"Just... I'm pretty sure Frisk would want to do something. If she wants to dress up as a skeleton, what's wrong with that?"

He got a weird look upon his face and looked away, a small yellow blush appearing upon his cheekbones. "Kids dressing as skeletons would be like if a monster dressed up as a human... without clothing."

Oh.

You started to laugh and he turned towards you, blush flaring to a deeper shade of yellow. In your mind, you made the decision to get said skeleton costume just to see his reaction.

Everyone began to arrive home after that. Toriel and you made dinner while Sans helped Frisk with her homework. Gaster and Grillby were in Alphys and Undyne's bedroom watching movies (most likely some form of anime), and Asgore tended to his garden in the backyard. You had asked Toriel to come along when they went costume shopping, and she had of course said yes.

As everyone went to bed that night, you laid in bed, staring at Sans as he slept, and realized this may help all of them more than anyone realized. 

Especially him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so damn sorry, again, that it took forever to get a chapter out. I lost ideas and whatnot and then had to deal with some bullshit the last few weeks. Major bullshit. I'm still not up to par, but I feel like writing a little bit. 
> 
> So, here, have a mess of a chapter. I stopped mid-way about two weeks ago so if it doesn't quite make sense, that's why. I'm hoping this will help me develop more plot.
> 
> Songs used were [We Rise](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8B5AOljhsY) by San Holo and [Spooky Scary Skeletons](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6-ZGAGcJrk) by TheLivingTombstone

**Author's Note:**

> [lady-perun.tumblr.com](http://lady-perun.tumblr.com/)

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Interspecies](https://archiveofourown.org/works/7214863) by [Moonflower01](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moonflower01/pseuds/Moonflower01)




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